SynthesisPediatrics2012
Meta-analysis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of formula and infant cognition.
Synthesis in Pediatrics, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 115 citations in OpenAlex.
- N-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Mothers and Infants for Childhood Psychomotor and Cognitive Development: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- The association of breastfeeding with cognitive development and educational achievement in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.Journal of global health · 2022Pooled it
- A Meta-Analysis of Stressors from the Total Environment Associated with Children's General Cognitive Ability.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- The Long-Term Effects of Dietary Nutrient Intakes during the First 2 Years of Life in Healthy Infants from Developed Countries: An Umbrella Review.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2019Pooled it
- n-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Mothers, Preterm Infants, and Term Infants and Childhood Psychomotor and Visual Development: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The Journal of nutrition · 2018Pooled it
- Impact of nutritional supplements on cognitive development of children in developing countries: A meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2017Pooled it
- Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in infants born at term.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of nutrition interventions on mental development of children under-two in low- and middle-income countries.Maternal & child nutrition · 2017Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- Effects of LC-PUFA supply via complementary food on infant development-a food based intervention (RCT) embedded in a total diet concept.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2020Trial
- Effect of childhood nutrition counselling on intelligence in adolescence: a 15-year follow-up of a cluster-randomised trial.Public health nutrition · 2017Trial
- Milk protein-based formulas containing different oils affect fatty acids balance in term infants: A randomized blinded crossover clinical trial.Lipids in health and disease · 2017Trial
- Trial
- Effects of different arachidonic acid supplementation on psychomotor development in very preterm infants; a randomized controlled trial.Nutrition journal · 2015Trial
- Omega-3 supplementation during the first 5 years of life and later academic performance: a randomised controlled trial.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2015Trial
- Long-term effects of LCPUFA supplementation on childhood cognitive outcomes.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2013Trial
- Review
- Iron and DHA in Infant Formula Purchased in the US Fails to Meet European Nutrition Requirements.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Increased LC PUFA Levels in the Serum of Pregnant Women and Their Children as a Result of Dietary Supplementation with 'Omega' Fatty Acids.Nutrients · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectiveInfant formula is supplemented with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) because they are hypothesized to improve cognition. Several randomized controlled clinical trials have examined the effect of LCPUFA supplementation of infant formula on cognitive development. We conducted this meta-analysis to examine the efficacy of LCPUFA supplementation of infant formula on early cognitive development.
methodsTwo authors searched PubMed, PsychInfo, and Scopus for randomized controlled clinical trials assessing the efficacy of LCPUFA supplementation of infant formulas on cognition. Our analysis was restricted to randomized controlled clinical trials that examined the effect of LCPUFA supplementation on infant cognition using Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Our primary outcome was the weighted mean difference in Bayley Scales of Infant Development score between infants fed formula supplemented with LCPUFA compared with unsupplemented formula. We conducted secondary subgroup analyses and meta-regression to examine the effects of study sample, LCPUFA dose, and trial methodologic quality on measured efficacy of supplementation.
resultsTwelve trials involving 1802 infants met our inclusion criteria. Our meta-analysis demonstrated no significant effect of LCPUFA supplementation of formula on infant cognition. There was no significant heterogeneity or publication bias between trials. Secondary analysis failed to show any significant effect of LCPUFA dosing or prematurity status on supplementation efficacy.
conclusionsLCPUFA supplementation of infant formulas failed to show any significant effect on improving early infant cognition. Further research is needed to determine if LCPUFA supplementation of infant formula has benefits for later cognitive development or other measures of neurodevelopment.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.