Studies in primates and human infants have shown that long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA), particulary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid(ARA)are necessary for optimal infant brain, neural, and retinal development. Infants born prematurely are deprived of the intrauterine accretion of LC PUFA which occurs in the last trimester of gestation and accounts for much of the LC PUFA accumulated by the fetus. Preterm infants have low brain concentrations and limited hepatic stores of DHA. Studies of human milk fatty acid content and of breast-fed infants suggests the LC PUFA content in preterm milk provides adequate DHA to support normal neural tissue growth and development. Infant formulas in the U.S. are not currently supplemented with LC PUFA, and therefore infants who do not receive human milk have no dietary source of LC PUFA. The purpose of this study is to examine the safety of feeding a formula containing LC PUFA and its impact on growth parameters of the infant.
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