INFANT FORMULA WITH LONG CHAIN POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACID AND CHILDHOOD BLOOD PRESSURE

Abstract

Abstract Background: Breastfeeding of term infants has been associated with decreased blood pressure (BP) in later ages compared to formula feeding. The protective effect of human milk against childhood BP has been linked to its docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content. It is unclear whether early exposure to DHA supplementation can benefit offspring from high BP in childhood. Objective: to determine whether the amount of DHA fed to infants during infancy influences their blood pressure at ages 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6 years. Methods: BP was measured longitudinally from 4 to 6 years of age at 6-months interval, in a cohort of 77 children who were randomized at birth into four infant formula groups comprise of 0.0%, 0.32%, 0.64%, and 0.96% of total fatty acids (FA) from DHA. Both the control and intervention groups were subsequently dichotomized into 2 groups based on their weight status (≤ 85th and 85th percentiles), using the Center for Disease Control BMI-for-age growth charts (≥ 2 years) reference. A three-way ANOVA model was run to examine the degree of interaction among BMI-for-age percentiles, formula group (control vs DHA) and age (4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, and 6 years) on systolic or diastolic BP. Results: Higher BMI-for-age percentiles predicted higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p=0.0054) but group and age were unrelated to SBP. No variable was related to diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in young children. Conclusion: Intake of a LCPUFA-supplemented infant formula did not protect against higher BP levels seen in overweight/obese children compared to intake of a non-supplemented formula.