Define Nutritional Requirements of Fats and Oils during Infancy?
Adequate breast-feeding ensures 30 g fat intake by infants, of which 10% is linoleic acid and 1% is linolenic acid, Breast milk thus meets EFA needs of infants of 6 en%. Infants who are weaned completely or partially should be given enough vegetable oil with a high linoleic acid content to ensure 6 en% of linoleic acid. Recent studies have indicated the essentiality of n-3 fatty acids, and the need for the inclusion of docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA) in food for infants. DHA and arachidonic acid are particularly important for brain development. DHA, in particular has an important role to play in myelination and brain development.