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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #99276
Title: EFFECTS OF MATERNAL DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA) SUPPLEMENTATION ON VISUAL AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL FUNCTION OF BREAST-FED INFANTS AND INDICES OF MATERNAL DEPRESSION AND COGNITIVE INTERFERENCE

Author
item JENSEN, CRAIG - BAYLOR COL MEDICINE
item LLORENTE, ANTOLIN - BAYLOR COL MEDICINE
item VOIGT, ROBERT - BAYLOR COL MEDICINE
item PRAGER, THOMAS - UNIV TEXAS @ HOUSTON
item FRALEY, J - BAYLOR COL MEDICINE
item ZOU, YALI - UNIV TX @ HOUSTON
item BERRETTA, MARCIA - BAYLOR COL MEDICINE
item HEIRD, WILLIAM - BAYLOR COL MEDICINE

Submitted to: Pediatric Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: DHA, an essential component of the structural lipids of brain and retina, is present in human milk but not formula, and some think this may help explain the better visual and cognitive development of breastfed infants. Since milk of U.S. women has less DHA content than that of other populations, and since milk DHA is dependent on maternal DHA intake, many have suggested that lactating women and their infants might benefit from supplemental DHA. Women were assigned randomly and blindly to receive either approximately 200 mg of DHA daily (Group 1; n=43) or a placebo (Group 2; n=46) for 120 days after delivery. Extensive testing yielded results suggesting that maternal DHA supplementation confers no benefit with respect to visual function, visual-motor problem-solving ability or language development of the infants and also does not affect the incidence of maternal depression. However, maternal DHA supplementation appears to improve gross motor development of the infant and to decrease maternal cognitive interference.