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 .
Long-Term Feeding of Formulas High in Linolenic Acid and Marine Oil to Very Low Birth Weight Infants: Phospholipid Fatty Acids
ABSTRACT : Red blood cell ( RBC ) phospholipids of infants fed human milk compared with formula have more arachidonic acid ( AA ) and docosahexanoic acid ( DHA ) . The addition of low levels of marine oil to infant formula with 0.6 to 2.0 % α-linolenic acid ( LLA , 18:3n-3 ) prevented declines in DHA in formula-fed infants ; however , the feeding trials were short ( 4 to 6 wk ) , LLA concentrations were low compared with current formulas ( 3.0 to 5.0 % LLA ) , and the formulas were unstable . Trials with stable formulas were necessary to determine if dietary DHA could maintain phospholipid DHA after discharge from the hospital and , in fact , if it was necessary with higher intakes of LLA . The results of acute ( 4 wk ) and extended ( to 79 wk postconception ) feeding of such formulas on RBC and plasma phospholipid AA and DHA are reported here . Control formulas were identical to commercially available formulas . Experimental formulas differed only in the addition of small amounts of marine oil  . DHA in RBC and plasma phosphatidylethanolamine ( PE ) declined during four weeks of feeding but not if marine oil provided DHA ( 0.2 % or 0.4 % ) and plasma phospholipid AA ( g/100 g ) decreased with time and marine oil feeding . Extended feeding with marine oil accounted for half the DHA in RBC and plasma phosphatidylethanolamine at equilibrium ; however , RBC ( g/100 g ) and plasma AA ( g/100 g ; mg/L plasma ) decreased progressively until late infancy and were depressed further by marine oil . We conclude that 1 ) AA and DHA decline in RBC and plasma phospholipids of preterm infants when only their n-6 and n-3 fatty acid precursors are consumed ; and 2 ) marine oil can maintain cord concentrations of RBC phosphatidylethanolamine DHA but further reduces AA
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 .