Dear Smart Parents, Ini hasil penelitian, lengkapnya bisa dilihat di <http://www.acsh.org/publications/reports/fattyacids2002_full.html> http://www.acsh.org/publications/reports/fattyacids2002_full.html . Jadi terbukti bahwa Breastfeed itu jauh lebih menguntungkan dari pada Formula. Arie Fatty Acids in Human Milk and Formula Human milk naturally contains DHA and ARA, with levels varying depending on the mother's diet (4). Women consuming typical North American diets usually have relatively low milk DHA levels (0.2-0.4% of total fatty acids) (4). In contrast, DHA levels as high as 1.4% of fatty acids have been found in the milk of women who eat large amounts of fish (4). ARA levels in human milk have also been found to vary in women from different parts of the world who eat different types of diets (5,6). Human milk content of these fatty acids can also be increased if a lactating mother's diet is supplemented with them (7). Currently, most standard infant formulas sold in the United States contain no DHA or ARA, but they do contain other fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid) that the infant can convert into DHA and ARA. Both full-term and premature infants can synthesize DHA and ARA from these precursors (8-10). It is uncertain, however, whether infants can produce enough DHA and ARA in this way to completely meet their needs (11). It is this uncertainty that has prompted the controversy about whether or not DHA and ARA should be added directly to infant formulas. Cognitive Development in Breastfed and Formula-fed Infants More than 20 scientific studies have compared the mental development of breastfed infants with that of formula-fed infants (12). In most of these studies, the test scores of children who had been breastfed tended to be higher than those of children who had been formula-fed. However, it has been difficult for scientists to determine whether this difference was due to the type of milk per se. The mothers of the infants in these studies chose for themselves whether to breastfeed or formula-feed; they were not assigned randomly to one condition or the other. Surveys have shown that, at least in the United States, women who choose to breastfeed tend to be older and more highly educated than those who do not (3,13). They also have higher family incomes. These factors, rather than breastfeeding itself, might be responsible for differences in the infants' test scores. To attempt to resolve this issue, a group of researchers conducted a combined analysis of 11 similar studies of infant feeding and cognitive development that considered other factors as well. (12). These included socioeconomic status and the mothers' levels of education (which are markers of the mothers' IQ and parenting skills). They found that the average IQ scores of the breastfed children in these studies were 5 points higher than those of the formula-fed children before the other factors were taken into account. After the other factors were considered, the difference narrowed to 3 points. In both instances, the differences between the breastfed and formula-fed groups were statistically significant. This doesn't necessarily mean, however, that the DHA and ARA in human milk are responsible for even this small difference in IQ. Other components of human milk may also be involved (14). The experience of breastfeeding, rather than the composition of the milk, might also be a relevant factor (14). In addition, characteristics of the mothers that were not controlled in the combined analysis may play a role. For example, in a study that was completed too recently to be included in the combined analysis, no difference was found between the IQs of breastfed and formula-fed children when the mothers' IQs and their scores on a test of parenting skills were taken into account (15). None of the earlier studies of infant feeding and intelligence directly measured these two factors. Thus, it is unclear whether the IQs of breastfed children are truly higher than those of formula-fed children, and if a difference does exist, it is uncertain whether the DHA or ARA content of human milk is even partially responsible.
