Gibson R A, Makrides M
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Acta Paediatr. 1998 Oct;87(10):1017-22. doi: 10.1080/080352598750031301.
Exciting new research has shown that both preterm and term infants can actively convert the essential fatty acids linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) to long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA). However, the amount of LCPUFA being produced, particularly of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), may not be sufficient to meet the developmental requirement of the infant. Because DHA is a major component of retinal and brain tissues, a number of studies have been initiated to test the effect of dietary LCPUFA on neural outcomes in infants. These studies have largely involved a comparison of neural responses from infants fed standard infant formula (no LCPUFA) with infants receiving LCPUFA from either supplemented formula or breast milk. The results have been equivocal and may be due to the variety of LCPUFA supplements and formula fat blends used, differing testing techniques as well as variations in clinical trial conduct, but are clearer in preterm than term infants. Overall the results indicate a possible role for LCPUFA in neurodevelopment.
令人兴奋的新研究表明，早产和足月婴儿都能将必需脂肪酸亚油酸（LA，18:2n-6）和α-亚麻酸（ALA，18:3n-3）主动转化为长链多不饱和脂肪酸（LCPUFA）。然而，所产生的LCPUFA数量，尤其是二十二碳六烯酸（DHA，22:6n-3）的数量，可能不足以满足婴儿的发育需求。由于DHA是视网膜和脑组织的主要成分，已经开展了多项研究来测试膳食LCPUFA对婴儿神经发育结果的影响。这些研究主要涉及比较喂食标准婴儿配方奶粉（不含LCPUFA）的婴儿与从添加了LCPUFA的配方奶粉或母乳中获取LCPUFA的婴儿的神经反应。结果并不明确，这可能是由于所使用的LCPUFA补充剂和配方奶粉脂肪混合物种类繁多、测试技术不同以及临床试验实施存在差异，但在早产儿中比足月儿更清晰。总体而言，结果表明LCPUFA在神经发育中可能发挥作用。
