American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 64, 40-46, Copyright © 1996 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Feeding formula without arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid has no effect on preferential looking acuity or recognition memory in healthy full-term infants at 9 mo of age

SM Innis, CM Nelson, D Lwanga, FM Rioux and P Waslen
Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. sinnis@wpog.childhosp.bc.ca

Preferential looking acuity and novelty preference (a test of recognition memory) were determined by using Teller Acuity Cards and the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, respectively, for 399-433 healthy full-term infants at 39 +/- 1 wk of age. Duration of breast- feeding and age of infant at introduction and amount and type of formula were determined by questionnaire. Seventy-four infants (17%) were never breast-fed; another 92 infants (21%) were still receiving breast milk as the milk source at 39 wk of age. There were no differences in visual acuity or novelty preference among the infants when they were stratified by incidence or duration of breast-feeding. The formulas met current Canadian guidelines with > or = 0.7% of energy as linolenic acid, but had no docosahexaenoic or arachidonic acid. The studies indicate that formulas containing adequate linoleic and linolenic acids, without arachidonic or docosahexaenoic acid, impose no measurable deficits in performance in these visual and cognitive developmental tests at 9 mo of age in healthy full-term infants.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. R Rudnicka, C. G Owen, M. Richards, M. E. Wadsworth, and D. P Strachan Effect of breastfeeding and sociodemographic factors on visual outcome in childhood and adolescence Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2008; 87(5): 1392 - 1399. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Singhal, R. Morley, T. J Cole, K. Kennedy, P. Sonksen, E. Isaacs, M. Fewtrell, A. Elias-Jones, T. Stephenson, and A. Lucas Infant nutrition and stereoacuity at age 4-6 y Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2007; 85(1): 152 - 159. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M Krasevec, P. J Jones, A. Cabrera-Hernandez, D L. Mayer, and W. E Connor Maternal and infant essential fatty acid status in Havana, Cuba Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2002; 76(4): 834 - 844. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Jain, J. Concato, and J. M. Leventhal How Good Is the Evidence Linking Breastfeeding and Intelligence? Pediatrics, June 1, 2002; 109(6): 1044 - 1053. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Auestad, R. Halter, R. T. Hall, M. Blatter, M. L. Bogle, W. Burks, J. R. Erickson, K. M. Fitzgerald, V. Dobson, S. M. Innis, et al. Growth and Development in Term Infants Fed Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: A Double-Masked, Randomized, Parallel, Prospective, Multivariate Study Pediatrics, August 1, 2001; 108(2): 372 - 381. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Williams, E. E Birch, P. M Emmett, and K. Northstone Stereoacuity at age 3.5 y in children born full-term is associated with prenatal and postnatal dietary factors: a report from a population-based cohort study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2001; 73(2): 316 - 322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. J. LEASK, P.B. JONES, D. J. DONE, T. J. CROW, and M. RICHARDS No association between breast-feeding and adult psychosis in two national birth cohorts The British Journal of Psychiatry, September 1, 2000; 177(3): 218 - 221. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Hornstra Essential fatty acids in mothers and their neonates Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2000; 71(5): 1262S - 1269. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Carrié, M. Clément, D. de Javel, H. Francès, and J.-M. Bourre Phospholipid supplementation reverses behavioral and biochemical alterations induced by n;-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency in mice J. Lipid Res., March 1, 2000; 41(3): 473 - 480. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Neuringer Infant vision and retinal function in studies of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: methods, results, and implications1,2,3 Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2000; 71(1): 256S - 267S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. A. Sanders Essential fatty acid requirements of vegetarians in pregnancy, lactation, and infancy Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 1999; 70(3): 555S - 559. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T H Tram, J C B. Miller, Y McNeil, and P McVeagh Sialic acid content of infant saliva: comparison of breast fed with formula fed infants Arch. Dis. Child., October 1, 1997; 77(4): 315 - 318. [Abstract] [Full Text]