• Keyu Jia, Yao Feng, J Thomas Brenna, Zhong-Cheng Luo, Jing Zhao, Hong Li, Peiqin Li, Qiuyi Zhang, Qianyu Zhao, Qi Dai, Yan Zhong, Tim Lambers, Hong Zhang, Hong Zhou, and Ying Gao.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
• Nutrition. 2021 Jun 1; 86: 111143.

ObjectivesDietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) may affect infants' executive function (EF), although it remains unclear whether this may be the effect of total ω-3 PUFAs or any specific ω-3 PUFA. We assessed the associations between ω-3 PUFAs in breast milk and EF in infants at 8 mo of age.MethodsMilk samples from the mothers of 120 breast-fed infants were collected at 42 d and 8 mo postpartum in Beijing, China. Infant's EF was evaluated by planning tasks and A-not-B tasks, including working memory, distractibility, and inhibition of prepotent response at age 8 mo.ResultsEicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations in breast milk were significantly higher at 42 d than 8 mo postpartum. Breast milk EPA levels at both 42 d (P = 0.037) and 8 mo (P = 0.005) postpartum were negatively associated with infant distractibility when EPA levels were low (< 0.05%). No significant association was observed for other ω-3 PUFAs with infant EF scores.ConclusionsOur results suggest a beneficial effect of higher EPA in breast milk (improving infant's attention) when its levels are below a certain threshold.Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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