There is no evidence that PUFA supplementation in infancy has an effect on infant or childhood allergy , asthma , dermatitis/eczema or food allergy .
However , the quality of evidence was very low .
There was insufficient evidence to determine an effect on allergic rhinitis
BACKGROUND Early dietary intakes may influence the development of allergic disease .
It is important to determine if dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) given as supplements or added to infant formula prevent the development of allergy .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of higher PUFA intake during infancy to prevent allergic disease .
Efficacy and safety of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of infant-formula milk: a randomised trial
BACKGROUND We tested whether addition of n-3 and n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( LCPUFA ) to infant-formula milk during the first 6 months promotes long-term cognitive and motor development , without adverse consequences . METHODS We did a double-blind , r and omised , controlled , efficacy and safety trial of formula with and without LCPUFAs , with an additional breastfed reference group , in four hospitals in two cities in the UK . The participants were 447 healthy full-term babies . 309 were fed formula ( 155 without LCPUFAs )  and 138 were breastfed for at least 6 weeks . The main outcome measures were : Bayley Mental and Psychomotor Development Indices ( MDI , PDI ) at 18 months ( primary efficacy outcome ) and Knobloch , Passamanick , and Sherrards test at 9 months ( secondary outcome ) . Principal safety outcomes were : infection , atopy , growth , and gastrointestinal tolerance . FINDINGS Babies fed formula with and without LCPUFA did not differ in cognitive or motor development , growth , infection , atopy or tolerance . The mean ( 95 % CI ) MDI was 0.5 ( -2.7 to 3.8 ) units and the PDI 0.6 ( -1.8 to 3.0 ) units higher in the supplementation group . Formula-fed infants had similar developmental scores to the breastfed reference group after adjustment for higher social class and maternal education in the latter . INTERPRETATION There was no evidence of a beneficial or adverse effect on cognitive and motor development or growth up to 18 months . Although no significant differences in safety outcomes were observed , we suggest such data should be collected in future LCPUFA trials . Our trial does not provide support for addition of LCPUFA to st and ard infant formula but we are now doing further follow-up of this cohort
There is no evidence that PUFA supplementation in infancy has an effect on infant or childhood allergy , asthma , dermatitis/eczema or food allergy .
However , the quality of evidence was very low .
There was insufficient evidence to determine an effect on allergic rhinitis
BACKGROUND Early dietary intakes may influence the development of allergic disease .
It is important to determine if dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) given as supplements or added to infant formula prevent the development of allergy .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of higher PUFA intake during infancy to prevent allergic disease .