title: LCPUFAs as conditionally essential nutrients for very low birth weight and low birth weight infants: metabolic, functional, and clinical outcomes-how much is enough?
abstract: Preterm infants are denied the rapid accumulation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) occurring during the third trimester in utero. The potential benefit of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) has generated interest over the last 3 decades. Early intervention trials assessed the effects of supplementing infant formulas lacking DHA with concentrations equivalent to LCPUFA in milk of women from Westernized societies, leading to the inclusion of LCPUFA by the year 2000. Recently attention has been on determining the optimal dose of DHA and on whether there is in advantage in matching the higher doses of late pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia; Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Adelaide, 72 King William Road, North Adelaide, South Australia 5006, Australia. Electronic address: maria.makrides@health.sa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makrides
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University Medical School and Institute of Nutrition, INTA University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uauy
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D041943:Infant Formula; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
keywords: Development; LCPUFA; Low birth weight infants; Preterm; Randomized controlled trials; Very low birth weight infants