Breast Milk and Cognitive Development: The Role of Essential Fatty Acids

Abstract

The importance of human milk for the development of infants in early lifr is well established. Human milk fat is the major energy source of newborn babies, providing 50% of energy content as well as supplying cholesterol and phospholipids which are essential for growth and development. Some fatty acids in human milk have defined functions in the newborn, other than just providing energy, such as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) which are essential for brain development. The scope of this article is to review some of the information available in the field of LCPUFAs in the development of brain function in infants.