The role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant cognitive development

doi:10.1054/plef.2000.0198

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (PLEFA)

Volume 63, Issues 1–2, July 2000, Pages 95-100

https://doi.org/10.1054/plef.2000.0198 Get rights and content

Abstract

Dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in infancy are necessary for normal brain growth and development, and may play an important role in the development of infant cognition. Several randomized, controlled studies have evaluated the effects of feeding both term and preterm infants formula containing LCPUFA or no LCPUFA on a variety of measures of cognitive behaviour. Studies of the relation of LCPUFA to performance on tests of psychomotor development have produced inconsistent results, with supplemented infants demonstrating either higher scores or no differences in comparison to controls. This pattern suggests that global tests of development may be insufficiently sensitive for detecting the effects of LCPUFA on infant cognitive function. In contrast, studies assessing the influence of LCPUFA on development of specific cognitive behaviours have shown a significant advantage for supplemented infants on measures of visual attention and problem solving. These results suggest that LCPUFA may enhance more efficient information processing or attention regulation in infants. Whether there are any long-term effects of dietary LCPUFA in infancy on childhood cognition is not known.

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^f1: Correspondence to: P. Willatts PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK. Tel.: 01382 344623/344618; Fax: 01382 229993; E-mail: [email protected]

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Regular ArticleThe role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant cognitive development

Abstract

Lancet

Am J Clin Nutr

Lancet

Lancet

Intelligence

Lancet

J Nutr

Later development of breast fed and artificially fed infants

J Am Med Assoc

Feeding in infancy and later ability and attainment: a longitudinal study

Dev Med Child Neurol

Developmental profiles of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain of normal infants and patients with peroxisomal diseases: Severe deficiency of docosahexaenoic acid in Zellweger's and pseudo-Zellweger's syndromes

World Rev Nutr Diet

Plausible explanations for effects of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on neonates

Arch Dis Child

Changing fatty acid content of growth cone lipids prior to synaptogenesis

J Neurochem

Requirements of newborn infants for long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Acta Paediatr Scand

Arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids are biosynthesized from their 18-carbon precursors in human infants

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA

Effect of diet on the fatty acid composition of the major phospholipids of infant cerebral cortex

Arch Dis Child

The Bayley scales of infant development

Growth and development of premature infants in relation to ω3 and ω6 fatty acids status

Effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on early visual acuity and mental development in preterm infants

Neurodevelopmental quotient of healthy term infants at 4 months and feeding practice: the role of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Pediatr Res

Developmental quotient at 24 months and fatty acid composition of diet in early infancy: A follow up study

Archiv Dis Child

Formula supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: Are there developmental benefits?

Pediatr

A critical appraisal of the role of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on neural indices of term infants: A randomised, controlled trial

Pediatrics

A randomised controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants

Dev Med Child Neurol

Regular Article
The role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant cognitive development