Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy?
The proposal that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances neurocognitive functioning in term infants is controversial. Theoretical evidence, laboratory research and human epidemiological studies have convincingly demonstrated that DHA deficiency can negatively impact neurocognitive development....
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20972 |
| _version_ | 1848750459368505344 |
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| author | Heaton, A. Meldrum, S. Foster, Jonathan Prescott, S. Simmer, K. |
| author_facet | Heaton, A. Meldrum, S. Foster, Jonathan Prescott, S. Simmer, K. |
| author_sort | Heaton, A. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The proposal that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances neurocognitive functioning in term infants is controversial. Theoretical evidence, laboratory research and human epidemiological studies have convincingly demonstrated that DHA deficiency can negatively impact neurocognitive development. However, the results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of DHA supplementation in human term-born infants have been inconsistent. This article will (i) discuss the role of DHA in the human diet, (ii) explore the physiological mechanisms by which DHA plausibly influences neurocognitive capacity, and (iii) seek to characterize the optimal intake of DHA during infancy for neurocognitive functioning, based on existing research that has been undertaken in developed countries (specifically, within Australia). The major observational studies and RCTs that have examined dietary DHA in human infants and animals are presented, and we consider suggestions that DHA requirements vary across individuals according to genetic profile. It is important that the current evidence concerning DHA supplementation is carefully evaluated so that appropriate recommendations can be made and future directions of research can be strategically planned. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:37:10Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-20972 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:37:10Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-209722017-09-13T13:47:28Z Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? Heaton, A. Meldrum, S. Foster, Jonathan Prescott, S. Simmer, K. development infant n-3LC-PUFA neurocognitive DHA The proposal that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances neurocognitive functioning in term infants is controversial. Theoretical evidence, laboratory research and human epidemiological studies have convincingly demonstrated that DHA deficiency can negatively impact neurocognitive development. However, the results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of DHA supplementation in human term-born infants have been inconsistent. This article will (i) discuss the role of DHA in the human diet, (ii) explore the physiological mechanisms by which DHA plausibly influences neurocognitive capacity, and (iii) seek to characterize the optimal intake of DHA during infancy for neurocognitive functioning, based on existing research that has been undertaken in developed countries (specifically, within Australia). The major observational studies and RCTs that have examined dietary DHA in human infants and animals are presented, and we consider suggestions that DHA requirements vary across individuals according to genetic profile. It is important that the current evidence concerning DHA supplementation is carefully evaluated so that appropriate recommendations can be made and future directions of research can be strategically planned. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20972 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00774 Frontiers in Human Neuroscience unknown |
| spellingShingle | development infant n-3LC-PUFA neurocognitive DHA Heaton, A. Meldrum, S. Foster, Jonathan Prescott, S. Simmer, K. Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? |
| title | Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? |
| title_full | Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? |
| title_fullStr | Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? |
| title_short | Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? |
| title_sort | does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy? |
| topic | development infant n-3LC-PUFA neurocognitive DHA |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20972 |