DHA Integral for Developing Infant Eyesight

DALLAS--Dietary long-chain fatty acids affect infants' visual development well beyond the previously suggested period of six weeks, according to researchers from the Retina Foundation of the Southwest, who published their study in the March issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (75, 3:570-80, 2002) (www.ajcn.org). Researchers divided 65 healthy term infants, who were weaned from breast milk at six weeks, into two groups. The treatment group received formula supplemented with long-chain fatty acids and the placebo group received non-supplemented formula.

At 17, 26 and 52 weeks, the infants were tested for acuity (keenness of perception, sharpness) and stereoacuity (three-dimensional acuity). Results indicated that despite a dietary supply of fatty acids from breast milk during the first six weeks of life, infants who were weaned to placebo formula had significantly poorer visual acuity at each test period and significantly poorer stereoacuity at 17 weeks of age than the infants who were weaned to long-chain fatty acid formula. Researchers concluded that better acuity and steroacuity at 17 weeks were correlated with higher plasma concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and better acuity at 52 weeks was correlated with higher blood and plasma concentrations of DHA.