Science and Research
Interest in DHA and ARA has increased following several scientific studies
showing that infants fed formula supplemented with DHA and ARA gained
intellectual and visual benefits not found in infants who were fed standard
formulas without DHA and ARA.
Scientific Studies on the Benefits of the Lipids DHA and ARA A longitudinal
study of children from birth to 18 years that examined early diets and
subsequent cognitive outcomes found that breastfeeding was associated with
increased cognitive ability and school performance during childhood and
adolescence.1
These benefits were attributed to the effects of long-chain, polyunsaturated
fatty acids--particularly DHA--in early neurodevelopment.
In another study, researchers in England found that women who regularly ate oily
fish (a source of DHA) throughout pregnancy and during lactation gave birth to
children who had better visual development at the age of three compared to those
children whose mothers did not breast feed.2
Benefits of DHA and ARA in Infant Formula
The benefits of DHA and ARA have been documented in numerous scientific studies
to promote cognitive and visual advantages in infants fed infant formulas
enriched with DHA and ARA:
Based on their IQ test results later in childhood, infants in one study who were
fed formula with DHA and ARA achieved higher problem-solving skills than infants
who were fed standard formulas.3
Another study revealed that infants fed formula with DHA and ARA earned higher
marks on IQ tests at the age of 18 months4. These infants also had superior
visual acuity at four months and one year similar to the visual acuity of
breastfed infants5.
1. Horwood, LJ and Ferguson, DM. Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic
Outcomes, Pediatrics 101(1):1-7, 1998.
2. Williams, C, Birch, EE, Emmett, PM et al. Stereoacuity at Age 3.5 Years in
Children Born Full Term is Associated with Prenatal and Postnatal Dietary
Factors: A Report From a Population-Based Cohort Study, Am J Clin Nutr
73:316-322, 2001.
3. Willatts, P, Forsyth, JS, DiModugno, MK et al. Effect of Long-Chain
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Infant Formula on Problem Solving at 10 Months of
Age, Lancet 352:688-691, 1998.
4. Birch, EE, Garfield, S, Hoffman, DR et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial of
Early Dietary Supply of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mental
Development in Term Infants, Dev Med Child Neurol 42:174-181, 2000.
5. Birch, EE, Hoffman, DR, Uauy, R et al. Visual Acuity and the Essentiality of
Docosahexaenoic Acid and Arachidonic Acid in the Diet of Term Infants, Pediatr
Res 44:201-209, 1998.
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