Infant visual acuity
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Infants fed formula containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) "showed acuity maturation similar to that of the human milk-fed group throughout the first year of life" in a study of 108 healthy term infants published in the August issue of Pediatric Research. The study, by Eileen Birch et al., concludes "early dietary intake of preformed DHA and AA appears necessary for optimal development of the brain and eye of the human infant." The DHA and AA were supplied by Columbia, Md.-based Martek. The company maintains the study "is the first to show a persistent effect in visual acuity development related to dietary intake of DHA." A grant from NIH funded the study while Mead Johnson provided the formula and supplementary funding...