Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω3), present in human milk but not in most infant formulas, is an important component of the structural lipids of brain and retinal cell membranes. More optimal indices of visual and neurodevelopmental status have been reported in breast versus formula fed infants. To determine if intake of α-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor of DHA, affects neurodevelopmental outcome, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition (PDI, MDI), the Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestones Scale (CLAMS), the Clinical Adaptive Test (CAT), and the Gross Motor section of the Revised Gesell Developmental Inventory (GM) were administered at 12 to 15 months of age to 44 normal term infants who were fed formulas differing only in ALA content (0.4, 0.95, 1.7, and 3.24% of fat) for the first 4 months of life.

In general, DHA content of plasma phospholipids was higher and arachidonic acid content was lower at 4 months of age in infants who received the highest LNA intake. All groups scored in the average range on all neurodevelopmental measures with no statistically significant differences among groups. However, those that received the lowest LNA intake and had the lowest plasma phospholipid and erythocyte DHA content at 4 months of age scored consistently lowest on every neurodevelopmental measure (PDI, 7 points; MDI, 6 points; CLAMS, 4 points; CAT, 5 points; GM, 9 points). Across all groups, there were positive correlations between plasma phospholipid content of DHA at 4 months of age and both PDI (p = 0.028; r2 = 8.9%) and GM (p = 0.022; r2= 9.8%) scores, as well as between plasma phospholipid content of 20:5ω3(p = 0.009; r2 = 13.2%) and 22:5ω3 (p = 0.011; r2 = 12.4%) and CLAMS scores. These data suggest that ω3 fatty acid status in early infancy may be associated with a modest neurodevelopmental advantage at 12 to 15 months of age.