SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF OMEGA-3-FATTY-ACIDS IN THE NUTRITION OF VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS - SOY OIL AND MARINE OIL SUPPLEMENTATION OF FORMULA

Because formula-fed preterm infants may be at risk of psi 3 essential fatty acid deficiency, we tested experimental formulas supplemented with soy oil to provide cu-linolenic acid or marine oil to provide preformed psi 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids at a level comparable to that of human milk. This report addresses the effect of feeding formula supplemented with soy oil or with say and marine oils on growth, clinical tolerance, coagulation test results, changes in erythrocyte membrane fluidity, and plasma concentrations of vitamins A and E in very low birth weight infants from 30 to 57 weeks of postconceptional age. ''Healthy'' preterm infants were maternally selected to receive human milk or selected at random to receive commercial ready-to-feed liquid formula, which provided limited psi 3 fatty acid, or experimental formulas supplemented with say oil or soy and marine oils. Results of this study indicate that formula enriched with soy oil or soy and marine oils containing preformed psi 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids does not induce abnormalities in growth, clotting function, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, or vitamin A or E levels in healthy very low birth weight preterm infants. Additional studies to evaluate safety in a representative preterm population are required.