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 .
Lower Proportion of CD45R0+ Cells and Deficient Interleukin-10 Production by Formula-Fed Infants, Compared With Human-Fed, Is Corrected With Supplementation of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Background The immune consequences of adding 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 fatty acids to preterm infant formula are not known . Methods The effect of feeding preterm infants ( 14–42 days of age ) human milk ( Human Milk group ) , infant formula ( Formula group )  , or formula with added long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 ( Formula + LCP group ) on isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes ( by flow cytometry ) and lipid composition ( by gas – liquid chromatography ) was determined . Lymphocytes were stimulated in vitro with phytohemagglutinin to measure soluble interleukin (sIL)-2R and IL-10 production ( by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ) . Results With age , the percentage of CD3+CD4 + T cells and the percentage of CD20 + cells increased in the Human Milk and Formula + LCP groups ( P < 0.05 ) , but not in the unsupplemented Formula group . Compared with the Formula group , CD4 + cells from the Formula + LCP and Human Milk groups expressed more CD45R0 ( antigen mature ) and less CD45RA ( antigen naive ) at 42 days of age ( P < 0.05 ) . At 42 days , IL-10 production was lower ( P < 0.05 ) in cells of the Formula group than in cells of the Human Milk group . Production of IL-10 by the cells of the Formula + LCP group was not different from that produced by the Human Milk group cells . An age-related decrease ( P < 0.05 ) in sIL-2R production by Formula + LCP lymphocytes was observed , but sIL-2R production at 42 days in the Formula + LCP group did not differ significantly from that in the Human Milk group . Compared with Formula alone , adding LCP to formula result ed in a lower C18:2n-6 and higher C20:4n-6 content in lymphocyte phospholipids ( P < 0.05 ) . Conclusions Adding LCP to a preterm infant formula result ed in lymphocyte population s , phospholipid composition , cytokine production , and antigen maturity that are more consistent with that in human milk – fed infants . This may affect the ability of the infant to respond to immune challenges
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 .