Peter Hartman talked about this at a conference I just attended (he is so GREAT).  Anyways, with the help of some graphs showing the fatty acid profile of the new formulas compared to breastmilk, he pointed out that the entire profile is changed with the addition of these new ingredients and is very different from breastmilk - when you increase one component it leads to a chain reaction which eventually effects almost all of the other components.  He also questioned whether more is really better where DHA is concerned, either for babies or their mothers.  We don't really know what the "optimal" amount is, or if there really is an optimal amount.  Because it can be so diet-dependent, obviously the fatty acid content of the milks of mothers from around the world have always had the probability of being quite different.  What we don't know of course, is what this very altered fatty acid profile found in the formulas will do to these babies, short or long term.  Once again, we are experimenting on a helpless population.  These are the kinds of questions which can be asked when formula salespeople start touting their product.

Warmly,
Sharon Knorr, BSMT, ASCP, IBCLC
Newark, NY (near Rochester on Lake Ontario)
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