title: Association of complex lipids containing gangliosides with cognitive development of 6-month-old infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human breastmilk contains gangliosides which may play an important role in infant neurodevelopment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A pilot study was conducted to assess the impact of infant formula supplemented with gangliosides from complex milk lipid on cognitive functions of normal healthy infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a double-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel group clinical trial in which infants received the treatment or control product from 2 to 8 weeks of age until 24 weeks of age. The control group (n=30) received standard infant formula and the treatment group (n=29) received the same formula supplemented with complex milk lipid to increase the ganglioside content to approximately 11 to 12 μg/ml. A reference group (n=32) consisted of normal healthy exclusively breast-fed infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive development using the Griffith Scales and serum gangliosides was measured before (2-8 weeks of age) and after intervention (24 weeks of age).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ganglioside supplementation using complex milk lipids significantly increased ganglioside serum levels (control group vs treatment group, P=0.002) and resulted in increased scores for Hand and Eye coordination IQ (P<0.006), Performance IQ (P<0.001) and General IQ (P=0.041). Cognitive development scores and serum ganglioside levels for the treatment group did not differ from the reference group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supplementation of infant formula with complex milk lipid to enhance ganglioside content appears to have beneficial effects on cognitive development in healthy infants aged 0-6 months, which may be related to increased serum ganglioside levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Padjadjaran, Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Dida A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gurnida
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rowan
authors.forename: Ponpon
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Idjradinata
authors.forename: Deddy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muchtadi
authors.forename: Nanan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sekarwana
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides