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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #69621
Title: EFFECT OF ALPHA_LINOLENIC ACID INTAKE IN EARLY INFANCY ON NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME OF TERM INFANTS AT 12 TO 15 MONTHS OF AGE

Author
item VOIGT, ROBERT - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE
item Jensen, Craig
item ROZELLE, J. - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE
item BROWN, FRANK - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE

Submitted to: American Pediatric Society / The Society for Pediatric Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA;22:6n-3), present in human milk but not in most infant formulas, is an important component of the structural lipids of brain and retinal cell membranes. More optimal indices of visual and neuro- developmental status have been reported in breast versus formula fed in- fants. To determine if intake of Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor of DHA, affects neurodevelopmental outcome, the Bayley Scales of Infant De velopment, Second Edition (PDI,MDI), the Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestones Scale (CLAMS), the Clinical Adaptive Test (CAT), and the Gross Motor section of the Revised Gesell Developmental Inventory (GM) were ad- ministered at 12 to 15 mo. of age to 44 normal term infants who were fed formulas differing only in ALA content (0.4,0.95,1.7 and 3.24%) for the first 4 mo. of life. In general, DHA content of plasma phospholipids was higher and arachidonic acid content was lower at 4 mo. of age in infants who received the highest LNA intake. All groups scored in the average rang on all neurodevelopmental measures with no statistically significant dif- ferences among groups. However, those that received the lowest LNA intake and had the lowest plasma phospholipid and erythrocyte DHA content at 4 mo. of age scored consistently lowest on every neurodevelopmental measure (PDI, 7 points;MDI, 6 points;CLAMS, 4 points;CAT, 5 points;GM, 9 points). Across all groups, there were positive correlations between plasma phospholipid content of DHA at 4 mo. of age and both PDI (p=0.028;r2=8.9%) and GM (p=0.022;r2=9.8%) scores, as well as between plasma phospholipid content of 20:5n-3 (p=0.009;r2=13.2%) and 22:5n-3 (p=0.011;r2=12.4%) and CLAMS scores. These data suggest that n-3 fatty acid status in early infancy may be associated with a modest neurodevelopmental advantage at 12-15 mo. of age.