If you have an infant, or you are expecting, you may have been reading up on how to encourage your little one to grow into a smart, healthy toddler. There are many steps you can take, but an important one is in relation to their nutrition.
You may be aware that research indicates that babies raised on breast milk are cognitively superior to babies raised on infant formula. The thought behind this-that there is a lack of an essential fatty acid in formula called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is found in breast milk-has been possibly verified.
A study in September of 2009 showed that babies fed DHA-supplemented formula showed higher cognitive skills than those given regular infant formula.
The research was performed by a team at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. This study is more trustworthy than past studies, the researchers say, because more sensitive tests were performed and higher amounts of DHA were used than in past studies.
A total of 229 infants were used in the study and given either supplemented formula or regular formula. At the age of nine months, each baby was given a test where they were expected to problem-solve a sequence of steps to be rewarded with a rattle.
The babies with DHA formula were not only more likely to retrieve the rattle, but they showed more intentional behavior that would lead them to get the rattle. Despite the findings of the study, the leader of the team, James R. Drover, says there is not yet an agreement across the board about whether infant formula should be DHA-supplemented or not.
Since this study is so recent, it has yet to be extended into the toddler and childhood years of the children who participated in the study. Perhaps with more time and extension of the research, it will be clear whether the effects of the DHA extend to promote higher IQ and vocabulary in these children when they reach later childhood.
Of course, if at all possible, it is highly recommended for mothers to breastfeed their babies because the benefits are considerable and long-lasting. In order to provide your child with the healthiest milk, you can take certain supplements yourself to increase the amount of healthy DHA in your body.
You may be aware that research indicates that babies raised on breast milk are cognitively superior to babies raised on infant formula. The thought behind this-that there is a lack of an essential fatty acid in formula called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is found in breast milk-has been possibly verified.
A study in September of 2009 showed that babies fed DHA-supplemented formula showed higher cognitive skills than those given regular infant formula.
The research was performed by a team at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. This study is more trustworthy than past studies, the researchers say, because more sensitive tests were performed and higher amounts of DHA were used than in past studies.
A total of 229 infants were used in the study and given either supplemented formula or regular formula. At the age of nine months, each baby was given a test where they were expected to problem-solve a sequence of steps to be rewarded with a rattle.
The babies with DHA formula were not only more likely to retrieve the rattle, but they showed more intentional behavior that would lead them to get the rattle. Despite the findings of the study, the leader of the team, James R. Drover, says there is not yet an agreement across the board about whether infant formula should be DHA-supplemented or not.
Since this study is so recent, it has yet to be extended into the toddler and childhood years of the children who participated in the study. Perhaps with more time and extension of the research, it will be clear whether the effects of the DHA extend to promote higher IQ and vocabulary in these children when they reach later childhood.
Of course, if at all possible, it is highly recommended for mothers to breastfeed their babies because the benefits are considerable and long-lasting. In order to provide your child with the healthiest milk, you can take certain supplements yourself to increase the amount of healthy DHA in your body.
If you're interested in reading more about the health benefits of omega 3s and fish oil supplements, feel free to visit my website where I discuss products I personally use to achieve these benefits. You can view my website now by clicking this link: http://www.omega-3-supplement.com/ |
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