Role of Fatty Acids in the Neurological Development of Infants

The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6), are essential structural components of the central nervous system [1–4]. DHA is of particular importance because it is specifically concentrated in the structural membrane lipids of the white and gray matter of the brain and the visual elements of the retina [1, 4]. The human brain undergoes rapid growth during the first 2 years of life [5] during which there is a large concomitant accumulation of DHA [2]. Based on autopsy information, from the third trimester to about 2 years of age, there is a 12-fold increase in brain size. The increase in brain size is accompanied by an approximate fourfold increase in DHA and ARA concentrations in tissue [6].