Different Levels of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in Formula Affect Red Blood Cell Dha Levels in Term Infants.

Abstract

DHA is an important component of the brain. Red blood cell (RBC) DHA levels are thought to be related to brain DHA content and to visual acuity in infancy. The DHA content of the RBC of infants is determined by the DHA content of the feeding. To assess the effects of different levels of formula DHA on RBC DHA levels of infants, we conducted a multi-center, double-blind, prospective study. Infants were randomized to one of two infant formulas: Formula Higher DHA with DHA at 0.32% of total fatty acids, similar to worldwide mean levels found in breast milk, and Formula Lower DHA with DHA at 0.15% of total fatty acids, similar to lower levels typically found in breast milk in the USA. Infants were fed study formula from 14 through 120 days of age. Fatty acids in blood lipid fractions were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography at 120 days of age. The table summarizes DHA levels in total-RBC lipids, RBC-phosphatidylcholine (RBC-PC), RBC-phosphatidylethanolamine (RBC-PE), and plasma phospholipids (Plasma-PL) at 120 days (% of total fatty acids, Mean ± SE). Both formulas were well tolerated, and infants in both groups had similar growth. We conclude that infants fed formula containing higher levels of DHA have significantly higher circulating levels of DHA. We speculate that greater incorporation of DHA into brain and retinal tissues may result from higher circulating levels of RBC DHA. Fig. 1