Pediatric Nutrition: William J. Klish

I recently read about two new ingredients that will now be added to some brands of infant formula. What are they and why are they important?

By William Klish, M.D.

The two new ingredients that the Food and Drug Administration approved for use in infant formula are nutrients found naturally in substances such as fish oil and certain vegetable oils. These two substances, arachadonic acid (ARA) and docosohexanoic acid (DHA) fall into a nutrient category called "long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid" or LCPUFA.

Both ARA and DHA have been researched extensively for the past couple of decades. The benefits of fish oil in adults with cardiovascular disease have been known for many years but it is only recently that they have been studied in infants. Since they are present in human milk it has always been assumed that they impart some benefit when fed to babies, especially premature infants. Fish oils have been shown to enhance visual function and neurodevelopment in premature babies. In the term infant, however, the effects are not as clear, with some studies showing a small positive effect and others showing no effect. There is also some question as to whether all of the positive effects are transient. However, if both oils are given together and in the recommended amounts, research has not shown any harmful effects. Therefore the FDA felt comfortable in allowing their inclusion in infant formulas.

If you have children that did not have access to these new ingredients, not to worry. Currently, all full-term infant formulas contain the essential fatty acids, alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid, which healthy full-term infants are able to convert to DHA and ARA respectively. Years of experience have shown that full-term infants can develop well with the fatty acids in current formulas.

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