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Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2004;89:F497-F498 doi:10.1136/adc.2003.048389
  • Hypothesis

Low plasma taurine and later neurodevelopment

  1. B A Wharton1,
  2. R Morley2,
  3. E B Isaacs1,
  4. T J Cole3,
  5. A Lucas1
  1. 1MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London WC1 1EH, UK
  2. 2Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
  3. 3Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health
  1. Correspondence to:
    B A Wharton
    MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London WC1 1EH, UK; bwhartonich.ucl.ac.uk
  • Accepted 12 March 2004

Abstract

Dietary taurine intake may explain the benefits of both breast milk and preterm formula to neurodevelopment. Low plasma neonatal taurine was associated with lower scores on the Bayley mental development index at 18 months and the WISC-R arithmetic subtest at 7 years. Currently it is not mandatory to add taurine to infant formulas.

Footnotes

  • Funding: The Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust provided financial support. Research at the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street NHS Trust benefits from Research and Development funding from the NHS Executive. We also thank Farley Health Products for their collaboration, contributory funding and supply of the trial formulas. These financial supporters had no role in the design, conduct, analysis, or reporting of this study.

  • Conflict of interest: BAW has advised the UK Department of Health, European Union, WHO and food companies on various aspects of child nutrition including taurine. Fees for advice/opinions on nutritional child health have been received from WHO and food companies. AL has advised government departments, professional bodies, and industry in the field of nutrition.

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