Myelination is a fundamental process of neurodevelopment that facilitates the efficient brain messaging and connectivity that underlies the emergence and refinement of cognitive skills and abilities. Healthy maturation of the myelinated white matter requires appropriate neural activity and coordinated delivery of key nutritional building blocks, including short and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, and sphingolipids. While many of these nutrients are amply supplied by breastmilk, they are often provided in only limited quantities in infant formula milk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeasures of physical growth, such as weight and height have long been the predominant outcomes for monitoring child health and evaluating interventional outcomes in public health studies, including those that may impact neurodevelopment. While physical growth generally reflects overall health and nutritional status, it lacks sensitivity and specificity to brain growth and developing cognitive skills and abilities. Psychometric tools, e.
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