OPTIMIZING THE FATTY ACID BALANCE IN PRETERM INFANT FORMULAS: EFFECT OF 20:4(6) AND 22:6(3) ON THE FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANE PHOSPHOLIPIDS. ▴ 1819

Abstract

There is considerable interest in determining the nutritional requirements of preterm infants for the longer chain polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Preterm infants (up to 2.3 kg birth weight) were fed a commercial formula (Preemie SMA) devoid of AA and DHA and compared with similar infant groups fed one of three formulas containing a range of 0.46% to 0.9% AA and 0.25% to 0.6% DHA in the fat component of the formula. An analogous group of infants fed their mothers' breast milk was also followed. Erythrocyte membrane phospholipids were isolated from blood samples collected at 12 days of age and after a further 4 weeks of feeding. Feeding infant formula without AA and DHA reduced the level of AA in erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine (RBC-PC), and reduced the level of DHA in phosphatidylethanolamine (RBC-PE) in comparison to infants fed breast milk or infant formula containing AA and DHA. In conclusion, it is observed that supplementing infant formula with increasing levels of AA and DHA produces a clear dose response in the levels of AA and DHA found in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids. (*p<0.05)Table