Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have a positive effect on the quality of general movements of healthy term infants

Abstract

Whether long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) play a role in the development of the young nervous system in term infants is debated. 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. 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. 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. Supplementation of healthy term infants with LCPs during the first 2 mo of life reduces the occurrence of mildly abnormal GMs.