¹University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

Correspondence: Dr DH Adamkin, University of Louisville, 501 S. Floyd, Louisville, KY 40201, USA. E-mail: david.adamkin@louisville.edu

Abstract

The breast-fed infant is the gold standard for infant formula research and development. The addition of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and nucleotides to formula are intended to promote visual, neuro and immune development. Studies in both preterm and term infants have not consistently demonstrated efficacy with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation of infant formulas. Explanations for why these supplemented formulas do not always produce visual or neurodevelopmental advantages, include a small individual effect or that only a proportion of infants will benefit or the presence of confounding variables. The efficacy of nucleotides has been studied by analyzing response to vaccination in infants fed human milk versus formulas with or without additional nucleotides. Nucleotide supplemented formulas appear to enhance immune response similar to breast-fed infants with immunization. Humanizing formula with safe and well-studied nutrients may provide benefits that are discovered long after initial trials are concluded.