Mead Johnson | Brain Series

Here’s a visual demonstration of the association between DHA in breast milk and visual acuity in
breast-fed children.

*Please note that this is a simplified visual demo only intended to aid in the understanding of the
subject matter.

DHA and ARA are found to be the most prevalent long chain fatty acids in breast milk, and the most prevalent structural fats in the brain and in the retinas of breast-fed children¹. Experts believe that adequate levels of DHA and ARA are essential for supporting optimal eye and brain development².

Based on various research papers, results indicate that DHA & ARA intake improves mental and visual development measurements, and that higher levels of DHA in breast milk have a direct effect on a child’s visual acuity³. Visual acuity is the best non-invasive method of determining the level of brain development in children during their early years.

1. Study by Dr. Sheila M. Innis, Ph.D., and colleagues
The objective of this study was to determine if DHA is related to brain and eye development in breast-fed children. These children were exclusively breast-fed for at least 2 months and divided into 3 groups according to the level of DHA in their blood. Their visual acuity scores were determined. Results suggested that higher DHA levels in a mother’s breast milk meant their children had higher levels of DHA in the blood – and better visual acuity.
Read the full abstract of this research paper here.

2. Another study by Dr. Sheila M. Innis, Ph.D.
High concentrations of DHA in the retina and brain gray matter suggest that it plays an important role in retinal and neural function. The amount of DHA in human milk varies widely and positively correlates with visual and language development in breast-fed children.
Read the full abstract of this research paper here.

DHA...how much and for how long?

If you’re interested in finding out more, here are some links which may be useful to you:

1. DHA/AA – are they important?
2. Fish fatty acids linked to mature brain development in infants
3. DHA for smarter babies
4. Omega-3 DHA improves infant hand-eye coordination

1.	Dr.Alan Greene. “DHA & ARA: A Personal Story” February 01, 2002. http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=919. Accessed March 13, 2008.
2.	Birch EE et al. A randomized controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants. 2000; 42:174-81.
3.	Innis et al. Are human milk long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids related to visual and neural development in breast-fed term infants? The Journal of Pediatrics (2001): 139:532-538

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