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Baby and Infant Feeding

Whilst the risks of semicarbazide in jars of baby food are likely to be small, the Food Standards Agency recognises that parents may wish to play safe and make their babies and infants' foods themselves. This is the link to their advice:

http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/healthiereating/advice_for_you/yourbaby/

Modified Infant Formula and Childhood Blood Pressure

The search for better infant formula now is focused on supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs). Recent studies have shown that breast-fed infants have lower blood pressure than formula-fed infants, possibly because of maternally provided LCPUFAs.

Forsyth JS et al. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in infant formula and blood pressure in later childhood: Follow up of a randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2003 May 3; 326:953-5.

Forsyth et al conducted a follow-up study of a randomized clinical trial in which 136 newborns were assigned to formulas with or without LCPUFA supplements for 4 months; 88 breast-fed reference infants also were followed.

BP was measured after a mean of 70 months. Mean and diastolic BP readings in the LCPUFA-formula group were significantly lower than readings in the traditional-formula group (mean, 74.8 vs. 77.8 mm Hg; diastolic, 57.3 vs. 60.9 mm Hg); the systolic pressure difference approached significance (92.4 vs. 94.7 mm Hg). The mean BP of the breast-fed group was virtually identical to that of the LCPUFA-formula group.

Comment by Howard Bauchner, MD Published in Journal Watch May 13, 2003
Adding LCPUFAs to formula is associated with lower BP in childhood; children who are fed LCPUFA-supplemented formula exhibit BPs that are similar to those of breast-fed children. However, we still don't know if lower BP will persist and if it will result in better health in adulthood. Nevertheless, even as we continue to refine our definition of better infant formula, we should remember that breast-feeding remains the optimal form of infant nutrition. At the time of publication, the full text of the original article was available at http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7396/953 free of charge.

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