Nutritional role of omega-3 fatty acids during the perinatal period.

There is now clear evidence that dietary supplementation of omega-3 fatty acid is essential for normal eye and brain development. Corn oil-based diets induce omega-3 deficiency in preterm infants, affecting retinal responses to light, cortical visual evoked potentials, and behavioral measures of visual acuity. Preterm infants require docosahexanoic acid (DHA) because they are unable to form sufficient quantities from precursors provided by soy oil-based formula products. Human milk provides an ideal source of essential fatty acids for premature infants. There is increasing evidence that premature infant formulas containing vegetable oils should be supplemented with long-chain EFAs to promote optimal retinal and cortical visual development.