Rock Your Palate

Did you know...

• DHA In Baby Food.
  Docosahexaenoic Acid or DHA is a fatty acid critical to brain and eye development in babies and young children. It is found in breast milk and like any nutrient only dependent upon the mother’s diet. In 2002 the addition of DHA to baby formula was approved in the US.

  Research supports that DHA, when added to a baby’s diet at certain levels, can improve brain development and vision. Originally, believed to be true for preemies recent studies support a neurodevelopment role for DHA in term babies as well.

  This past summer a new study found a connection between DHA exposure in infancy and resistance to upper respiratory infections later in childhood (abstract findings presented at the World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition).
  The problem? No one knows exactly how much DHA a baby needs to support the brain and eye development. The American Dietetic Association has suggested that infant formula contain at minimum 0.20% of its fatty acid content as DHA. And surprising The American Academy of Pediatrics is silent.

  Do children need DHA in their baby food? The answer is not really known. The acceptance of minimum levels in infant formula is increasing and believed its presence to be associated with improved brain development and vision. At this time there is no evidence that adding more to baby food is advantageous.