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Pre-term babies need extra omega-3The role of the essential omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and EPA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in infant development has long been recognised and continues to be an area of active research. Infants born early may have a higher need for omega-3 than previously thought, according to a new study.
Researchers assessed visual responses of preterm infants fed human milk (HM), infants feed formula with a DHA concentration estimated to match the rate at which infants accrue DHA (high-DHA group) and formula containing DHA at current concentrations. The high DHA formula contained 1% DHA, the standard formula contained 0.3%, which is typical of formula milks on the market. Both groups received the same concentration of the essential omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA).
All infants were born before the 33rd week of gestation, a normal gestation period is 40 weeks. To investigate the visual perception of the infants the researchers recorded responses to electrical stimulation of the visual field; this was done at 2 months and four months after the infant's due date (rather than actual date of birth). At two months the researchers observed that there were no differences between the high DHA group and the control group. However, after four months, the visual acuity of the infants fed the high-DHA formula was 1.4 cycles per degree higher than in the control group, indicating greater visual development. The process of vision begins with light being focused through the cornea and lens onto the retina. The retina contains the cells responsible for light capture, the rod and cone photoreceptors. DHA is found in high concentrations in the photoreceptors of the retina and is part of the fatty membrane surrounding retinal cells. The amount of omega-3 fatty acid in the mother's diet is the determining factor in how much DHA the baby will receive. After the baby is born, the primary source of DHA is breast milk, which also reflects maternal intake. |