Effects of diet on the lipid and fatty acid status of full-term infants at 4 months.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effects of the exogenous supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) and cholesterol on the lipid and fatty acid status in full-term, 4-month old infants.


METHODS
Twenty-three infants received a standard infant formula while twenty-one were given a formula enriched with LCP and cholesterol in a prospective, randomized study. The composition of the two formulas differed only in fat quality. A group of fifteen breastfed infants fed was used as reference. No one was complemented with solid foods before blood sampling at 4 months of life.


RESULTS
Differences in total-cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels between feeding groups were mainly gender-related. Dietary cholesterol tended to increase LDL-C plasma levels. The breastfed and the enriched formula-fed groups had higher levels of circulating LCP than the group that received the standard formula. In the erythrocytes of infants fed the standard formula, C22:6 n-3 levels were less than 50% those of the breastfed and the enriched formula-fed ones. Higher C20:4 n-6 levels were found in the erythrocytes of the enriched formula-fed group.


CONCLUSIONS
Formula-fed, full-term infants maintain a lipid and fatty acid status close to that of breastfed infants when supplied with dietary LCP and cholesterol.
Agostoni
C
C
5th Department of Pediatrics, University of Milan, San Paolo Biomedical Institute, Italy.
Riva
E
E
Bellù
R
R
Trojan
S
S
Luotti
D
D
Giovannini
M
M
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007225:Infant Food / Q000592:standards*; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol