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 .
Visual Acuity, Erythrocyte Fatty Acid Composition, and Growth in Term Infants Fed Formulas with Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids for One Year
The CNS and the retina are enriched in long chain polyunsaturated ( LCP ) fatty acids , specifically docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA , 22:6n-3 ) and arachidonic acid ( AA , 20:4n-6 ) , which are present in human milk but not in most infant formulas . In the present study of 134 formula-fed and 63 breast-fed infants , we prospect ively evaluated whether providing a source of DHA and AA or DHA alone in formula would increase red blood cell ( RBC ) phospholipid levels of these fatty acids , enhance visual function , or affect growth during the first year .  Healthy term infants < 7 d old were r and omized to be fed formulas containing linoleic acid ( ≈10 % kcal ) and α-linolenic acid ( ≈1 % kcal ) plus ( 1 ) no added LCP fatty acids ( control formula ) , ( 2 ) DHA ( 0.12 wt% fatty acids ) and AA ( 0.43 wt% ) from egg yolk phospholipid ( AA + DHA formula ) , or ( 3 ) DHA ( 0.2 wt% ) from fish oil ( DHA formula ) . A breast-fed group was studied concurrently and permitted formula supplementation after 3 mo . Visual acuity was measured using both the acuity card procedure and a visual evoked potential method at 2 , 4 , 6 , 9 , and 12 mo . Infants fed the control formula had 10 - 40 % lower RBC levels of DHA and AA than infants in the breast-fed group . Infants fed the AA+ DHA formula had levels of both LCP within ≈10 % of the values for infants in the breast-fed group , and infants fed the DHA formula had 25 - 55 % higher DHA levels and 15 - 40 % lower AA levels . There were no differences in growth or in visual function during this 12-mo feeding study
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 .