EFFECTS OF DIET ON THE LIPID AND FATTY-ACID STATUS OF FULL-TERM INFANTS AT 4 MONTHS

Objective: To compare the effects of the exogenous supply of long-chai n polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) and cholesterol on the lipid and f atty acid status in full-term, 4-month old infants. Methods: Twenty-th ree infants received a standard infant formula while twenty-one were g iven a formula enriched with LCP and cholesterol in a prospective, ran domized study. The composition of the two formulas differed only in fa t quality. A group of fifteen breastfed infants fed was used as refere nce. No one was complemented with solid foods before blood sampling at 4 months of life. Results: Differences in total-cholesterol and low-d ensity lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels between feeding groups w ere mainly gender-related. Dietary cholesterol tended to increase LDL- C plasma levels. The breastfed and the enriched formula-fed groups had higher levels of circulating LCP than the group that received the sta ndard formula. In the erythrocytes of infants fed the standard formula , C22:6 n-3 levels were less than 50% those of the breastfed and the e nriched formula-fed ones. Higher C20:4 n-6 levels were found in the er ythrocytes of the enriched formula-fed group. Conclusions: Formula-fed , full-term infants maintain a lipid and fatty acid status close to th at of breastfed infants when supplied with dietary LCP and cholesterol .