Lee Swanson Research Update

Fatty Acid Supplements Support Vision in Infants After They are Weaned

October 2003

Giving fatty acid supplements to babies after they are weaned improves their eyesight, according to results of a double-blind study conducted by Dennis R. Hoffman, Ph.D., from the Retina Foundation of the Southwest in Dallas.

The study included 61 babies who were breast-fed until they were four to six months old, and then were given commercial infant formula. Half of the babies were given a brand-name formula with iron; the others received the same formula supplemented with the fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fat, and arachidonic acid, a long-chain omega-6 fat.

When the babies were one year old, their eyesight was measured. Those receiving the fatty acid-enhanced formula performed better on the visually evoked potential test, which measures overall eyesight response, than the babies who drank the regular formula, rating 0.152 compared with 0.255. (The numbers are on a logarithmic scale, with lower numbers showing more mature visual function.)

Breast milk contains more DHA and arachidonic acid than commercial infant formula, and eye tissue is also extremely rich in both fatty acids. Dr. Hoffman concludes that babies should be breast-fed until they are a year old. If they are weaned earlier, they should take fatty acid supplements to optimize visual development.

Journal of Pediatrics 142(6):669-77, 2003

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