A recently published study of 4 year olds who had been fed Enfamil LIPIL infant formula exclusively for their first 17 weeks of life has become the longest-term analysis of its kind to demonstrate breastfed-equivalent visual and IQ outcomes among formula- fed infants.(1) The study, which appeared in the journal Early Human Development, was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

"What this study means for parents is that we now have even longer-term evidence that DHA and ARA supplementation at the levels in Enfamil LIPIL is associated with visual acuity and brain development benefits similar to breast milk," said Deborah Diersen-Schade, Ph.D., a research fellow at Mead Johnson Nutritionals. Previously, brain and eye development outcomes similar to breast milk had been followed in the same group of infants out to 18 months of age.(2, 3)

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid) are nutrients known as "long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA)" that are present in breast milk.

They are critical for development of the eyes, brain and central nervous system. They begin accumulating in the infant's tissues during gestation, especially during the third trimester. Recent evidence suggests that they continue to support the development of visual acuity throughout the first full year of life.(4)

Dr. Diersen-Schade emphasized that the new study addresses two other issues that are important for parents and physicians -- those issues being DHA and ARA levels and control group outcomes.

"The levels…