Table 3.
Results from linear regression models for the association between docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid in breast milk and Mullen Scales of Early Learning scores among infants exclusively breastfed (n = 183) for the first four post‐natal months, PIN 2001–2006 [from PIN (1995–2006)] Babies Study
| Mullen Scales of Early Learning | Breast milk DHA (continuous) | Breast milk AA (continuous) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| β (CI) (unadjusted)*, † | β (CI) (adjusted) ‡ | β (CI) (unadjusted)*, † | β (CI) (adjusted) ‡ | |
| Gross motor | 5.6 (−2.8, 13.9) | 3.9 (−4.6, 12.4) | 10.6 (0.5, 20.7) | 9.0 (−1.0, 19.0) |
| Visual reception | −3.5 (−11.1, 4.1) | −2.7 (−10.5, 5.1) | 4.3 (−4.7, 13.3) | 4.4 (−4.6, 13.3) |
| Fine motor | 2.8 (−4.8, 10.5) | 2.3 (−5.2, 9.9) | 3.8 (−5.3, 12.8) | 1.7 (−7.0, 10.4) |
| Receptive language | 0.7 (−4.5, 5.9) | −0.7 (−5.9, 4.5) | 3.5 (−2.8, 9.8) | 2.2 (−4.0, 8.5) |
| Expressive language | −0.4 (−6.3, 5.6) | −1.6 (−7.6, 4.4) | 4.7 (−2.4, 11.9) | 3.6 (−3.6, 10.8) |
| Composite | −0.3 (−9.5, 8.8) | −1.3 (−10.3, 7.7) | 8.2 (−2.6, 19.1) | 6.1 (−4.3, 16.5) |
AA, arachidonic acid; CI, confidence interval; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid. *Unadjusted models include a variable for laboratory. †Beta coefficient represents a change in fatty acid concentration of 1.0%. ‡Adjusted models include laboratory, infant sex, parity, smoking and preterm status.