Abstract 1627 Poster Session III, Monday, 5/3 (poster 66)

Whether infant development can be enhanced by adding AA+DHA to term formulas remains controversial. Design. A double-masked, randomized, parallel trial was conducted with term infants fed formulas with or without AA+DHA for 1 yr [n=239]. A reference group of breastfed infants [n=165] was also studied. Infants in the formula groups were randomized at ≤8 days of age to a control formula [n=77] or one of two formulas containing AA+DHA from either egg-derived triglyceride (egg-TG [n=80]) or fish and fungal oil [n=82]) at levels similar to the average in breastmilk as measured in the reference group (AA, 0.43% total fatty acids; DHA, 0.14%). All formulas contained the essential dietary fatty acids, linoleic acid (10% kcal) and α-linolenic acid (1% kcal), the dietary precursors of AA and DHA, respectively. The main study outcomes were: AA and DHA levels in plasma and red cells (4&12 m); growth (enrollment to 12m); visual acuity (Teller acuity cards; 2, 4, 6 & 12 m); cognition (Bayley Scales, 6 & 12 m; Fagan Test, 6 & 9 m); language (MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventories, 9 & 14 m); temperament (Infant Behavior Questionnaire, 6 & 12 m). Statistics. Repeated measures ANOVA or Chi-square analyses with covariates as planned. Results. AA and DHA levels in plasma and red cells were 2-fold higher (p<0.05) in the AA+DHA supplemented than the control formula groups and comparable to those in the reference group. However, the developmental test results were not higher. Conclusion. These findings do not support adding AA+DHA to formulas containing linoleic acid (10% kcal) and α-linolenic acid (1% kcal) to enhance the development of visual acuity, cognition, language, or infant temperament in healthy term infants over the first 14 m after birth.

Supported by Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories.