Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #88693
Title: EFFECTS OF MATERNAL DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA) SUPPLEMENTATION ON VISUAL FUNCTION AND GROWTH OF BREAST-FED TERM INFANTS

Author
item Jensen, Craig
item PRAGER, THOMAS - UT HEALTH SCIENCES CNTR
item ZOU, YALI - UT HEALTH SCIENCES CNTR
item FRALEY, J - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item MAUDE, MAUREEN - UNIV OK HEALTH SCI CENTER
item ANDERSON, ROBERT - UNIV OK HEALTH SCI CENTER
item Heird, William

Submitted to: Pediatric Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of the milk of women in the U.S. has led some to suggest DHA supplementation of breastfeeding women. However, data concerning the efficacy of supplementation are lacking. To provide such data, we have determined the effects of DHA supplementation of lactating women on the visual function and growth of the recipient infants. .Mothers were assigned randomly and blindly to receive either ~200 mg of DH daily (Group 1) or placebo (Group 2) through 120 days after delivery. At 120 days, milk total lipid DHA content of Group 1 was twice that of Group 2; infant plasma phospholipid (PL) DHA content was 45% higher and arachidonic acid contents were 9, 34 and 39% lower. There were no differences between groups in visual evoked potential (VEP) latency Group 1 vs. Group 2 at 120 and 240 days, respectively, amplitudes, sweep VEP acuity or Teller Card acuity at either age. No measure of visual function correlated significantly with either milk DHA or infant plasma PL DHA content at 120 days of age. There were no statistically significant differences in weight, length, head circumference or skinfold thicknesses between groups at either 120 or 240 days of age. These data show that maternal DHA supplementation increases the DHA content of maternal milk as well as the plasma PL DHA content of the recipient infant but confers no detectable benefits with respect to visual function.