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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #195830
Title: EARLY INFANT DIET: EFFECTS ON RESTING CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY DURING THE FIRST HALF-YEAR OF LIFE

Author
item PIVIK, R - ACNC/UALR
item JING, HONGKUI - ACNC/UAMS
item Gilchrist, Janet
item BADGER, THOMAS - ACNC/UAMS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2006
Publication Date: 10/15/2006
Citation: Pivik, R.T., Jing, H., Gilchrist, J.M., Badger, T.M. 2006. Early infant diet: effects on resting cardiovascular activity during the first half-year of life. Psychophysiology. 40(S):78.

Interpretive Summary: This study shows that when an important fatty acid (DHA) present in human milk is not added to formula, the decrease in heart rate that normally occurs over the first 6 months of life in healthy infants does not happen. The heart plays an important role in emotional reactions, and it is possible that this early diet-related developmental difference in heart rate may affect behavior and health later in life.

Technical Abstract: The course of postnatal maturation of cardiac control has implications for later behavioral reactivity and self regulation. To investigate the influence of different infant diets on this process resting heart-rate (HR) and associated heart-rate variability (HRV) were evaluated in awake healthy full-term infants exclusively breast fed (BF), or fed milk (MF) or soy formula with (SF+) or without (SF-) commercial DHA (decosahexaenoic acid) since at least 2 months of age. Recordings were made monthly (2-6 months) in diet groups matched for gender, gestation period, birth weight, age at visit, and SES at each recording period (2 mo: n = 7; 3 mo: n = 10; 4 mo: n =11; 5 mo: n = 8; 6 mo: n = 11). Artifact-free recordings were digitized at 1024 Hz and RR intervals determined (~1 ms resolution). Interval data were interpolated, downsampled at 5 Hz, and subjected to power spectral analyses. Data [HR, low (0.04-0.15 Hz) and high (0.15-0.5 Hz) frequency measures] were analyzed using ANOVA procedures with post-hoc t-tests. Diet-related HR influences were present from 4-6 mo, i.e., 4 mo: BF = SF- > MF = SF+, p < .05); 5 mo: SF- > BF = MF = SF+, p < .01; 6 mo: SF- > SF+ (p < .10); SF- > BF = MF, p < .02. HRV measures indicated greater parasympathetic influence in all but the SF- group during this time. These findings are consistent with the reported HR decreasing effect of DHA in adults. It remains to be determined whether these diet-related early developmental differences in cardiac control have long-term behavioral effects.