 Vegetarian Based DHA AND AA, Found To Significantly Improve The Mental Development Of Infants
Source: prnewswire.co.uk Date: 1/9/09
Researchers have published data showing that term infants fed a specific formulation of two essential fatty acids, pre-formed docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and pre-formed arachidonic acid (AA), demonstrated a significant, quantifiable improvement
in
mental development. Researchers have long hypothesised that DHA and AA,
which are both present in mothers' milk, play a critical role in the
mental development of infants.
Select infant formulas sold in more than 60 countries worldwide,
including most of Europe, contain pre-formed DHA and pre-formed AA, but
they are not found in most formulas sold in the United Kingdom. This
study was conducted by researchers at the Retina Foundation of the
Southwest in Dallas, TX, and sponsored by the National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of
Health. The findings were published in the March issue of Developmental
Medicine & Child Neurology.
In this randomised, double-blind clinical trial, infants supplemented
with pre-formed DHA and pre-formed AA received a special, well studied
formulation of these two nutrients designed to closely match that found
naturally in mothers' milk. At 18 months of age, infants in the
supplemented group demonstrated a mean increase of 7 points on the
Mental Development Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant
Development II. Researchers reported that "these data support a
long-term cognitive advantage of infant dietary DHA supply during the
first 4 months of life. The significant correlations support the
hypothesis that early dietary supply of DHA was a significant
determinant of improved performance on the MDI." In addressing the
7-point increase on the MDI, researchers further reported that, "7
points represents a significant shift in the mean performance of a
cohort of children."
"These results demonstrate the critical role pre-formed DHA and
pre-formed AA play in the mental development of infants," stated
Professor Michael Crawford of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and
Human Nutrition in London. "While it is essential to emphasize that
breast milk is the best option for many immunological and hormonal
reasons as well as for AA and DHA, I hope that all infants who cannot
receive breast milk will soon have infant formula which contain AA and
DHA similar to mother's milk." "We have long recognised the importance
of DHA and AA to the mental and visual development of infants," stated
Barbara S. Levine, Ph.D., R.D., Director of the Nutrition Information
Center and Co-Director of the Human Nutrition Program, both at The
Rockefeller University, New York. "We are pleased to now see the
emergence of key clinical data supporting this important cause."
A previous evaluation of the same study population showed that infants
receiving a diet supplemented with pre-formed DHA and pre-formed AA had
an improved visual performance at 12 months of age using Sweep VEP
acuity testing. (Published in Pediatric Research 1998, 44:201-209.)
According to researchers, the visual improvement demonstrated in this
previous evaluation was equivalent to one line on an eye chart.
The brain is 60 per cent lipid in content, and DHA and AA are major
lipid components of the brain. During pregnancy, mothers mobilise DHA
and AA to support brain development. Mothers continue to provide this
important "brain food" through their milk. Although there are different
sources of DHA and AA, today's findings reaffirm the beneficial effects
of adding these sources of pre-formed DHA and AA to infant formulas at
the levels evaluated by the researchers. In more than 30 clinical
trials, DHA and AA supplementation has proven safe.
The DHA and AA used in this study were derived from vegetarian sources
and manufactured by Martek Biosciences Corporation of Columbia, MD,
USA. These preparations represent the closest match to the forms of DHA
and AA in mothers' milk.
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