EVANSVILLE, Ind., Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Infants fed formula DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, and ARA, an omega-6 fatty acid, show better respiratory health during winter, a U.S. pediatrician said.
Dr. Laura Jana, pediatrician and author of "Heading Home with Your Newborn; from Birth to Reality" said that human milk is widely considered to be the optimal source of nutrition for infants, since it provides a variety of biological factors -- including antibodies, which help support the development of the infant's immune system. But there is emerging science that suggests that mothers who cannot or chose not to breastfeed can improve their infants' respiratory health by feeding an infant formula that includes DHA and ARA -- important nutrients found naturally in breast milk, Jana said.
Infants fed Enfamil LIPIL during the first year of life experienced improved immune outcomes, including improved respiratory health, compared to infants fed the prior formulation without DHA and ARA -- a health benefit shown for the first three years of life, Jana added.
"This is intriguing news for moms who choose to feed their babies infant formula," Jana, said in a statement. "DHA and ARA have been increasingly recognized as important nutrients in infant nutrition. "The fact that they are found naturally in breast milk and as added nutrients in infant formula means that all infants, whether they are fed breast milk or infant formula, stand to benefit."
