US moms will soon be able to feed their babies with formula milk fortified with fatty acids thought to boost neurological and visual development. One recent study found that babies who drank milk fortified with the long chain polyunsaturated acids (LCP’s) docosaheaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) scored better on a test assessing complex problem-solving skills than those fed LCP-free milk. While other studies have found that the fortified milk boosted infants’ visual development. LCP-fortified milk has been available in Europe for some time, however the compounds are not added to formulas sold in the US. It is expected that the milk will be available early this year, and will cost 15-20% more than normal infant formulas.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 10th January 2002
