Is dietary docosahexaenoic acid essential for term infants?

There is a need to determine whether there is a dietary requirement for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22∶6ω3) by term infants to achieve their full developmental potential. Studies of brain fatty acid composition have demonstrated that infants who were breast fed have greater levels of cerebral cortex DHA than infants who were formula fed, suggesting that DHA in the cerebrum is dependent on a supply in the diet. Some physiological studies report that electrophysiological and behavioral assessments of visual function are improved in breast-fed infants relative to those fed formula, and that this is related to the level of DHA in their erythrocytes, whereas other studies demonstrate equivalent visual function between breast-and formula-fed infants. However, randomized studies of DHA supplementation of infant formula demonstrate that the visual function of formula-fed infants can be improved to breast-fed levels by adding DHA to formula. Further work is necessary to establish if there are long-term benefits of dietary DHA to the term infant. Based on a presentation at the AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo in San Antonio, Texas, May 7–11, 1995.