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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #235615
Title: Cortical Responses to Speech Sounds in 3- and 6-Month-Old Infants Fed Breast Milk, Milk Formula, or Soy Formula

Author
item LI, JUAN - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item DYKMAN, ROSCOE - University Of Kentucky
item JING, HONGKUI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item GILCHRIST, JANET - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item BADGER, THOMAS - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item PIVIK, R - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2010
Publication Date: 11/15/2010
Citation: Li, J., Dykman, R.A., Jing, H., Gilchrist, J.M., Badger, T.M., Pivik, R.T. 2010. Cortical responses to speech sounds in 3- and 6-month-old infants fed breast milk, milk formula, or soy formula. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. 35(6):762-784.

Interpretive Summary: We looked at whether infants receiving different diets [breast milk or formula] (milk-based or soy-based) showed differences in behavioral development and brain responses to a speech sound (/pa/) during the first half-year of life. During this time, behavioral measures were normal for all groups, but motor development was better in breastfed than soy formula-fed infants. Brain responses to speech sounds were also similar across groups, and between-group variations present at 3 months were no longer evident at 6 months. These early results from this long-term study do not indicate important differences among the three major infant diets on study measures of behavioral development and brain function during the first half-year following birth.

Technical Abstract: The influence of the three most common infant diets (breast milk, milk-based and soy-based formulas) on growth, behavioral development, and cortical responses (ERPs) to the consonant-vowel syllable /pa/, was examined in 130 healthy infants from an ongoing longitudinal study of 600 from birth through age 6 years. Measures were obtained in the same infants at 3 and 6 months. Growth and behavioral development measures were in the normal range and similar across groups, but motor development (Bayley Motor Scale) scores were significantly higher in breastfed than soy formula-fed infants were. Amplitudes of positive ERP components were greater in females than males, but the only significant group effects consisted of shorter latencies to early components and longer latencies to later components in breastfed relative to formula-fed infants at 3 months. These latency patterns may indicate more extensive syllable processing in breastfed infants at this age. The results indicate few significant differences between formula groups. Relevant to concerns regarding the potential effects of soy formula isoflavones on early developmental processes, these preliminary results do not indicate important influences of this formula on study measures of behavioral development and brain function during the first postnatal 6 months.