Essential fat requirements of preterm infants

The interest in factors that modify early infant development has led invest igators to focus on n-3 and n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP UFAs) in the past 2 decades. The presence of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in breast milk, compared with their absence from inf ant formulas available in the United States, has prompted clinical trials d esigned to examine whether LCPUFA enrichment of infant formula has benefici al effects on maturational events of the visual system. These trials have s hown significant functional advantages of LCPUFA supplementation for preter m infants, whereas benefits for full-term infants remain controversial. The growth and safety of preterm infants was not compromised by LCPUFA enrichm ent, although these issues remain to be resolved in clinical trials with fu ll-term infants.