title: Breast-feeding and optimal visual development.
abstract: The goal of the present study was to determine whether dietary supply of omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) influences visual development in healthy pre-term and full-term infants. Visual status was examined in human milk-fed infants (ample dietary omega-3 EFA supply) and corn oil-based formula-fed infants (no dietary omega-3 EFA; standard formula prior to 1987). At 57 weeks postconception (4 months adjusted age), both pre-term and full-term human milk-fed infants had significantly better visual evoked potential (VEP) and forced-choice preferential-looking (FPL) acuity than formula-fed infants. Acuity was correlated with a dietary omega-3 sufficiency index from red blood cell membranes obtained at 57 weeks postconception. At 36 months, full-term human milk-fed children had significantly better random dot stereo acuity and letter matching ability than formula-fed children. Stereo acuity and performance on the letter matching test were correlated with a dietary omega-3 sufficiency index from red blood cell membranes obtained at 4 months. These results suggest that dietary omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in visual development.
authors.affiliation: Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX 75231.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uauy
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005123:Eye / Q000254:growth & development*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3