DENVER, July 28 /EMWNews/ -- More research shows that

polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), mainly the omega-3s found in fish,

benefit maternal and infant health, immune function and total parenteral

nutrition (TPN). The June 2008 Fats of Life and PUFA Newsletter electronic

publications summarize new findings in these areas.



    One study showed that providing greater amounts of docosahexaenoic acid

(DHA), an omega-3 PUFA, and arachidonic acid, an omega-6 PUFA, to preterm

infants with very low birth weights resulted in improved cognition. Preterm

infant formulas in the U.S. provide less of these fatty acids than the

infant would receive had it remained in the womb.



    "This study provides additional evidence that the fatty acids an infant

receives from the mother during pregnancy are critically important for

brain development," said Editor Joyce Nettleton, D.Sc. "If these findings

are confirmed, they suggest that the long-chain PUFA content of preterm

infant formula may need to be increased."



    Studies on TPN, intravenous feeding for the seriously ill, also

question current U.S. regulations. In infants with severe liver disease and

short bowel syndrome, a fish oil-based preparation significantly reversed

the disease more quickly and more often compared with the standard soybean

oil preparation. In the U.S., fish oil TPN must be imported from Europe and

is approved only under compassionate circumstances.



    "Fish oil-based TPN saves lives and hastens the recovery of infants

with short bowel syndrome," Nettleton said. "Evidence from these studies

may help ease U.S. regulations so that fish oil-based TPN will be widely

available across the country."



    Other research examined infant cognitive development related to their

mothers' exposure to high levels of mercury, PCBs and omega-3 fatty acids

from eating seafood during pregnancy. In spite of their exposure to these

contaminants, the infants' high level of prenatal DHA was linked to better

outcomes, such as greater birth weight, gestational age, visual acuity, and

higher mental and psychomotor developmental scores.



    "These studies do not justify ignoring contaminants in seafood, but

they add to a large body of evidence that the benefits of eating most

species of fish during pregnancy outweigh the risks," Nettleton noted.



    The quarterly Fats of Life and PUFA Newsletter, sponsored by DSM

Nutritional Products, are at http://www.fatsoflife.com.