title: Dietary arachidonic acid in perinatal nutrition: a commentary.
abstract: Arachidonic acid (AA) is supplied together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in infant formulas, but we have limited knowledge about the effects of supplementation with either of these long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on growth and developmental outcomes. AA is present in similar levels in breast milk throughout the world, whereas the level of DHA is highly diet dependent. Autopsy studies show similar diet-dependent variation in brain DHA, whereas AA is little affected by intake. Early intake of DHA has been shown to affect visual development, but the effect of LCPUFA on neurodevelopment remains to be established. Few studies have found any functional difference between infants supplemented with DHA alone compared to DHA+AA, but some studies show neurodevelopmental advantages in breast-fed infants of mothers supplemented with n-3 LCPUFA alone. It also remains to be established whether the AA/DHA balance could affect allergic and inflammatory outcomes later in life. Disentangling effects of genetic variability and dietary intake on AA and DHA-status and on functional outcomes may be an important step in the process of determining whether AA-intake is of any physiological or clinical importance. However, based on the current evidence we hypothesize that dietary AA plays a minor role on growth and development relative to the impact of dietary DHA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lotte
authors.identifier: 0000000171845949
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lauritzen
authors.affiliation: Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fewtrell
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Pediatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agostoni
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D016718:Arachidonic Acid