SEARCHNARRATIVE_REVIEWpediatrics, nutrition

narrative_review·pediatrics, nutrition, clinical nutrition, micronutrients, systematic review·PMC10301972

Docosahexaenoic Acid in Formulas for Term Infants: The Way from Pioneer Idea to Mandatory Dietary Recommendation

Life · 3 authors, 4 centres

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FIDELITY 100%

This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.

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TL;DR

This narrative review summarizes the evidence base for the European mandatory dietary recommendation to add DHA to infant formula.

Full summary

298 CHARS

This narrative review summarizes the evidence base for the European mandatory dietary recommendation to add DHA to infant formula. The authors attribute the discrepancy between the Cochrane view and the mandatory recommendation to numerous methodological hurdles in conducting high-quality studies.

STUDY TYPE

narrative_review

SPECIALTY

pediatrics

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10301972

Docosahexaenoic Acid in Formulas for Term Infants: The Way from Pioneer Idea to Mandatory Dietary Recommendation

Life

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ABSTRACT

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a novel mandatory constituent of breast-milk-substitute infant formula in Europe. The aim of the present narrative review was to summarize available data in connection with the background of the novel European mandatory dietary recommendation to add at least 20 mg/100 kcal (4.8 mg/100 kJ) DHA to infant formula. The literature search with the expression “docosahexaenoic acid with (infant or human milk or formula)” revealed nearly 2000 papers, including more than 400 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). DHA is a persistent constituent of human milk (HM) with a worldwide mean level of 0.37% (standard deviation: 0.11%) of all fatty acids in HM. RCTs on supplementing DHA to lactating women showed some indications, though no direct evidence of the beneficial effect of enhanced HM DHA on the development of breastfed infants. The most-recent Cochrane review of RCTs investigating the effect of DHA supplementation to infant formula for full-term infants reported no evidence for recommending supplementation. The controversy between the Cochrane view and the actual recommendation may be related to the numerous hurdles in organizing high-quality studies in this field. On the basis of the official food composition recommendation, today in Europe, DHA should be considered as a fatty acid essential for infants.

CITATION EXPORT

Tamás Decsi, Tamás Marosvölgyi, Éva Szabó. Docosahexaenoic Acid in Formulas for Term Infants: The Way from Pioneer Idea to Mandatory Dietary Recommendation. Life. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061326

AUTHORS

3 · 4 CENTRES

Tamás Decsi, Tamás Marosvölgyi, Éva Szabó

1Department of Pediatrics, Medical School and Clinical Centre, University of Pécs, 7623 Pécs, Hungary
2Cochrane Hungary, Clinical Centre, University of Pécs, 7623 Pécs, Hungary
3Institute of Bioanalysis, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; [email protected]
4Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Juan J. Loor