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 .
Respiratory hospitalisation of infants supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid as preterm neonates.
AIM To determine the effect of neonatal docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) supplementation in preterm infants on later respiratory-related hospitalisations . METHODS We enrolled 657 infants in a multicentre , r and omised , controlled trial design ed to study the long-term efficacy of higher dose dietary DHA in infants born <33 weeks ' gestation . Treatment was with high DHA ( ∼1 % ) compared with st and ard DHA ( ∼0.3 % ) in breast milk or formula , given from the first week of life to term equivalent . Parent-reported hospital admissions to 18 months corrected age were recorded . The proportion of children hospitalised for lower respiratory tract ( LRT ) conditions and the mean number of hospitalisations per infant were determined . RESULTS Twenty-three per cent ( 154/657 ) of infants were hospitalised for LRT conditions . Seventy-three per cent ( 173/238 ) of admissions were for bronchiolitis . There was no significant effect of higher DHA on the proportion of infants admitted for LRT conditions ( high DHA 22 % vs. st and ard DHA 25 % , adjusted relative risk 0.92 , 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) 0.68 - 1.24 , P = 0.57 ) or in the mean number of admissions per infant ( high DHA 0.34 , st and ard DHA 0.38 , adjusted ratio of means 0.91 , 95 % CI 0.63 - 1.32 , P = 0.62 ) . The sexes responded differently to treatment ( interaction P = 0.046 ) , with reduced admissions in boys given high DHA , but this was not statistically significant ( high DHA 19 % , st and ard DHA 28 % , adjusted relative risk 0.69 , 95 % CI 0.46 - 1.04 , P = 0.08 ) . CONCLUSIONS Hospitalisation for LRT problems in the first 18 months for preterm infants was not reduced by neonatal supplementation with 1 % DHA
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 .