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 .
Pre- and post-term growth in pre-term infants supplemented with higher-dose DHA: a randomised controlled trial.
The effect of the dietary n-3 long-chain PUFA , DHA ( 22 : 6n-3 ) , on the growth of pre-term infants is controversial . We tested the effect of higher-dose DHA ( approximately 1 % dietary fatty acids ) on the growth of pre-term infants to 18 months corrected age compared with st and ard feeding practice ( 0·2 - 0·3 % DHA ) in a r and omised controlled trial . Infants born < 33 weeks gestation ( n 657 ) were r and omly allocated to receive breast milk and /or formula with higher DHA or st and ard DHA according to a concealed schedule stratified for sex and birth-weight ( < 1250 and ≥ 1250 g ) . The dietary arachidonic acid content of both diets was constant at approximately 0·4 % total fatty acids . The intervention was from day 2 to 5 of life until the infant 's expected date of delivery ( EDD ) . Growth was assessed at EDD , and at 4 , 12 and 18 months corrected age . There was no effect of higher DHA on weight or head circumference at any age , but infants fed higher DHA were 0·7 cm ( 95 % CI 0·1 , 1·4 cm ; P = 0·02 ) longer at 18 months corrected age . There was an interaction effect between treatment and birth weight strata for weight ( P = 0·01 ) and length ( P = 0·04 ) . Higher DHA result ed in increased length in infants born weighing ≥ 1250 g at 4 months corrected age and in both weight and length at 12 and 18 months corrected age . Our data show that DHA up to 1 % total dietary fatty acids does not adversely affect growth
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 .