Postnatal nutrition is essential for growth and neurodevelopment. We analyzed the influence of\na new enriched-infant formula with bioactive compounds on growth, neurodevelopment, and visual\nfunction (VF) in healthy infants during their first 18 months of life. A total of 170 infants were randomized\nin the COGNIS randomized clinical trial (RCT) to receive a standard infant formula (SF = 85) or a new\nexperimental infant formula supplemented with functional nutrients (EF = 85). As a control, 50 breastfed\ninfants (BF) were enrolled. Growth patterns were evaluated up to 18 months of life; neurodevelopment\nwas assessed by general movements at 2, 3, and 4 months; VF was measured by cortical visual evoked\npotentials at 3 and 12 months. No differences in growth and neurodevelopment were found between\ngroups. Regarding VF, SF and EF infants presented prolonged latencies and lower amplitudes in the P100\nwave than BF infants. In the EF group, a higher percentage of infants presented response at 7½'of arc at 12\nmonths compared to 3 months of age; a similar proportion of BF and EF infants presented responses at\n7½'of arc at 12 months of age. Early nutritional intervention with bioactive compounds could narrow the\ngap in growth and neurodevelopment between breastfed and formula-fed infants.
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