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Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have a positive effect on the quality of general movements of healthy term infants^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Neurology (HB, JCvdH, and MH-A) and the Perinatal Nutrition & Development Unit, Department of Pediatrics/Obstetrics and Gynecology (JALW, HMT, and ERB), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands (DAJD-B and FAJM).

Background: Whether long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) play a role in the development of the young nervous system in term infants is debated.

Objective: We investigated whether supplementation of formula with LCPs for 2 mo improves the quality of general movements (GMs) in healthy term infants at 3 mo of age.

Design: A prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted with 2 groups of healthy term infants: a control-formula (CF) group (n = 131) and an LCP-supplemented-formula (LF) group (n = 119). A breastfed (BF) group (n = 147) served as a reference. Information on potential confounders was collected at enrollment. Videotapes were made of the infants’ spontaneous motor behavior at 3 mo of age to assess the quality of their GMs. On the basis of quality, normal GMs were classified as normal-optimal or normal-suboptimal, and abnormal GMs were classified as mildly or definitely abnormal. Attrition at 3 mo of age was 15% and nonselective. Multivariate regression analyses with adjustment for confounders were carried out to evaluate the effect of the type of feeding.

Results: None of the infants had definitely abnormal GMs. Infants in the CF group had mildly abnormal GMs significantly more often than did infants in the LF and BF groups (31% compared with 19% and 20%, respectively). Infants in the BF group had normal-optimal GMs more frequently than did infants in the LF and CF groups (34% compared with 18% and 21%, respectively). Logistic regression analyses confirmed these findings.

Conclusion: Supplementation of healthy term infants with LCPs during the first 2 mo of life reduces the occurrence of mildly abnormal GMs.

Key Words: General movements • long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids • infants • nutrition • nervous system • motor development • breastfeeding • term infants • n-3 fatty acids • docosahexaenoic acid

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