This paper reviews current knowledge on the role of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA,, in maternal and term infant nutrition as well as infant development. Consensus recommendations and practice guidelines for health-care providers supported by the World Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Early Nutrition Academy, and the Child Health Foundation are provided. The fetus and neonate should receive LC-PUFA in amounts sufficient to support optimal visual and cognitive development. Moreover, the consumption of oils rich in n-3 LC-PUFA during pregnancy reduces the risk for early premature birth. Pregnant and lactating women should aim to achieve an average daily intake of at least 200 mg DHA. For healthy term infants, we recommend and fully endorse breastfeeding, which supplies preformed LC-PUFA, as the preferred method of feeding. When breastfeeding is not possible, we recommend use of an infant formula providing DHA at levels between 0.2 and 0.5 weight percent of total fat, and with the minimum amount of AA equivalent to the contents of DHA. Dietary LC-PUFA supply should continue after the first six months of life, but currently there is not sufficient information for quantitative recommendations.

No abstract

Three longitudinal studies are reported in which 6-8-month-old infants were tested on means-end problems involving pulling a cloth to retrieve a toy. Production of intentional means-end behavior increased between 6 and 7 months, but although 6-month-olds' behavior was unaffected by the presence or absence of a toy on the cloth, 7-month-olds more often produced means-end sequences when a toy could be retrieved. Infants' performance remained the same when the cloth was either attached to the toy or separate, suggesting that goal-subgoal conflict does not interfere with performance of means-end sequences. By 8 months, infants could appropriately adjust their means-end behavior to the distance of the toy. These results confirm J. Piaget's (1953) original description of a shift from transitional to intentional means-end behavior and suggest that development of means-end behavior involves acquisition of knowledge of appropriate means-end relations.

Research has shown that a relationship exists between phonological awareness and literary skills. It has been suggested that a structured programme of musical activities can be used to help children develop a multi-sensory awareness and response to sounds. The relationship between musical ability and literacy skills was examined in a study that showed an association between rhythmic ability and reading. A further pilot intervention study showed that training in musical skills is a valuable additional strategy for assisting children with reading difficulties. RESUME Les relations entre compbtences en musique et en lecture-kcritureDe nombrew chercheurs ont montrt qu'il y a une relation entre conscience phonologique et compttences en lecture-ecriture et que les mauvais lecteurs ont des difficultts a skparer les mots en fonction de leurs composantes sonores Treiman, 1985). Des recherches s'intkressent au fait que de nombreux enfants intelligents ayant souffert d'une perte auditive temporaire au cours de leur petite enfance rencontrent des probltmes en lecture et en Ccriture, et certains pensent qu'un programme structurt d'activitks musicales pourrait compenser ces difficultks initiales (Wisbey, 1980). Miles et Miles (1990) ont attire l'attention sur les recherches relatives a la dyslexie et a la musique. Des rksultats de differents types ont ete reunis dans une brochure de Smith (1988) faisant la liste de certaines difficult& que rencontrent les dyslexiques dans leur rapports avec la musique. Cette liste contient 'se souvenir d'une phrase mklodique ou rythmique et la reproduire en chantant ou en frappant des mains' (Miles et Miles, 1990, p. 49). Ceci suggtre un lien entre une mauvaise perception du rythme et de la hauteur et des problemes de lecture. L'ktude prksentke ici a ktk entreprise pour explorer l'kventualitk d'un lien entre compktences en musique et en lecture-kcriture. Un effectif de 78 enfants, 2gks de 7 a 8 ans, a passk un test de vocabulaire (British Picture Vocabulary Scale), les tests de lecture et ecriture de Schonell, et un test de conscience auditive construit spkcialement pour kvaluer les compktences de rythme et de hauteur. Les rksultats ont fait apparaitre une corrklation significative entre les compktences rythmiques et la lecture (.306), qui est demeurke quand l'influence du vocabulaire a kte partiellement exclue de la corrklation.Springer et Deutsch (1984) ont suggkre que le traitement du rythme est sous le contrdle de l'hkmisphhre gauche du cerveau, tandis que l'hkmisphtre droit contrale le traitement des jugements mklodiques et la hauteur. I1 est possible que le rythme et la lecture soient correlks parce que les mkcanismes qui contrdlent le langage sont localisks kgalement dans l'hkmisph2re gauche (Sloboda, 1985).Wisbey (1980) a mis l'accent sur l'importance de la hauteur dans le dkveloppement des compktences en lecture-Ccriture, ce qui semble en contradiction avec les rksultats de notre ktude. On peut trouver une explication de cette contradiction dans une expkrience de Bever et Chiarello (1...

Coupling studies of cognitive ageing with studies investigating the effect of nutrition and dietary interventions as strategies targeting specific mechanisms, such as neurogenesis, protein clearance, inflammation, and non-coding and microRNAs is of high value. Future research on the impact of nutrition on cognitive ageing will need to adopt a longitudinal approach and multimodal nutritional interventions will likely need to be imposed in early-life to observe significant impact in older age.