Infant formula and brain development

If you've chosen to feed your infant formula, this blog entry is for you.  A recent study published in Pediatric Research found that infant formulas enriched with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( LCPUFA) such as DHA and ARA, help develop babies' brains and hearts.  This study supports others before it. 

To conduct the study, researchers  looked at 122 infants who were fed one of four formulas from birth to 12 months.  Three of the formulas contained varying levels of DHA and ARA. The fourth had none.  The children were tested at four, six and nine months by measuring their heart rates and visual attentiveness while viewing adult faces.  The result was that those infants fed formula with DHA and ARA were more cognitively advanced and had lower heart rates than those given formula without LCPUFA.

So, bottom line, It's important to buy formula containing DHA ( which is crucial for  brain and eye development), and ARA, which is also present in breast milk.

Don't forget, infant formula is loaded with nutrients, fats, and proteins that mimic breast milk.  No food is held to a higher standard by theFDA than formula.  So rest easy.  If you've chosen to use formula, don't feel guilty.  Know that you're giving your baby a great start in life.  Just buy formula containing DHA and ARA!