Supporting Neurodevelopment With Brain-Building Nutrition

The brain is one of the fastest growing organs in infants; by the time infants reach 2 years of age, the brain has nearly doubled in size. During this period of time, neurons proliferate, synapses form, and nerve fibers are myelinated"all processes that require support with optimal nutrition. This material reviews the latest learnings on the ways in which nutrition can influence neurodevelopment. Human milk is rich in key lipids for neurodevelopment, which are encapsulated by the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). The brain-building benefits of MFGM are increasingly being investigated in formula-fed infants, and we discuss the results of randomized clinical trials evaluating the addition of MFGM to infant formula, with a focus on the ways that these trials can be applied to your clinical practice.