The study showed that infants fed with Enfamil Lipil containing DHA and ARA during the first year of life experienced improved immune outcomes, including improved respiratory health, versus infants fed the same formulation without these lipids and this health benefit was shown for the first three years of life.
Mead Johnson Nutrition said that a routine cow’s milk formula supplemented with DHA and ARA (Enfamil Lipil) or the same formula with no DHA or ARA (now discontinued Enfamil with Iron) was fed to infants within the first week of life through 12 months in randomised, double-blind studies.
Reportedly, infants fed with the supplemented formula experienced improved immune health relative to the infants fed with the unsupplemented formula. In this study, immune health was assessed looking at a variety of clinical outcomes related to respiratory and skin health based on a review of infants’ medical charts. Improvements were demonstrated in most of the outcomes assessed in the study.
Results from this study show that mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed may benefit their infants’ respiratory health by feeding an infant formula that has been supplemented with DHA and ARA at levels similar to the worldwide breast milk average.
Additionally, Enfamil formulas supplemented with recommended levels of DHA and ARA supports long-term beneficial outcomes for health and development.
Mead Johnson Nutrition claimed that another study by Birch, et al, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February 2010, titled The DIAMOND (DHA Intake and Measurement of Neural Development) study, reported that infants fed with a routine infant formula supplemented with DHA at 0.32% of total fatty acids (Enfamil LIPIL) had improved visual acuity through 12 months of age compared to infants fed with the same formulation without supplementation (Enfamil with Iron).
Mead Johnson Nutrition reported that another study of those same formulas published in Child Development by Drover, et al, in October 2009 compared problem-solving ability among 9 month old infants. Infants were assessed with a 2-step problem-solving task as a measure of mental development, and those who were fed with the supplemented formula had more successful task completions and goal-directed behaviors than infants fed with the unsupplemented formula.