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 .
Blood lipid concentrations of docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids at birth determine their relative postnatal changes in term infants fed breast milk or formula.
BACKGROUND Factors other than dietary fatty acids could be involved in the variability observed in blood docosahexaenoate ( 22:6n-3 ) and arachidonate ( 20:4n-6 ) status in formula-fed infants . OBJECTIVE We considered the 22:6n-3 and 20:4n-6 status at birth to be one of these factors and studied its influence on postnatal changes in term infants fed 4 different diets . DESIGN The blood phospholipid composition was determined at birth and on day 42 of feeding in 83 term infants fed breast milk , nonsupplemented formula , or 2 different 22:6n-3-supplemented formulas .  Relations between 22:6n-3 and 20:4n-6 status at birth and their relative postnatal changes , calculated by the difference between status at the end of the feeding period ( 6 wk of age ) and at birth , were assessed . RESULTS Postnatal changes in the plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids 22:6n-3 and 20:4n-6 were negatively related to their respective concentrations at birth ( P < 0.01 ) and the slopes of the regression lines were not significantly affected by the type of milk ingested . Adjusted mean values for phospholipid 22:6n-3 in nonsupplemented-formula-fed infants and for 20:4n-6 in formula-fed infants decreased significantly more than they did in the other infant groups ( P < 0.02 ) . The status at birth and the type of milk ingested explained 33 - 64 % and 7 - 47 % , respectively , of the variability in postnatal changes . CONCLUSIONS The status of 22:6n-3 and 20:4n-6 at birth in term infants is one of the major determinants of postnatal changes in these fatty acids . This finding indicates that research is required to characterize environmental , genetic , or both factors , which , in addition to maternal diet , could influence fatty acid status at birth
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 .