The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing infant formulas with LCPUFA, (series n-3 and n-6), on psychomotor development among LBW premature infants. The study covered 128 newly born infants (47% female) free from major neonatal morbidity, birth weight mean 1.552 grams(±195 gr), gestational age 31.3 weeks (±1.6= Infants were randomly allocated to 3 groups of special formula: formula with LCPUFA, n-3 and n-6, n=27 (LCPUFA n-3 n-6); formula with LCPUFA n-3, N=16 (LCPUFA n-3); formula without LCPUFA N028 (WITHOUT) and two non-random reference groups: Breast Milk (BM), N=37 and Normal Chilean Feeding, N=20 (NF). Infants were evaluated at 6 and 12 months corrected age (CA) using the Fagan test (% visual preference for novel stimuli is associated with cognitive funcioning at schoolage) and at 12 and 18 months (CA) with the Bayley Development Scale(Mental Development Index MDI and Motor development Index PDI.Table

Table 1
Full size table

Analysis of the data obtained in the psychologic tests does not support the hypothesis that formulas supplemented with LCPUFA, n-3 and n-6 may have significant effects on developmental aspects on the randomised groups. The results of the reference groups were 101.0±7, 97.2±23 and 60.6±6 for Breast Milk; and 100.4±19, 90.2±19 y 65.8±8 for the Notmal Feeding, which appears to be similar (CA) to psychomotor achievements shown by full term infants of comparable socio-economic group.