Abbott Laboratories' Ross Products Division has launched three preterm infant formulas, NeoSure Advance, Similac Special Care and Similac Natural Care, supplemented with DHA and ARA, two fatty acids that are important for brain and visual development. These two fatty acids - DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid) - are found in small amounts in breast milk. Although infants can make some DHA and ARA from fatty acids already present in preterm formulas, supplementation with DHA and ARA can be beneficial for the preterm infant.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed review of the submissions for these infant formulas and the formulas are expected to be available in September.

The Ross Products Division has clinically demonstrated that supplementing Similac Special Care and NeoSure with DHA and ARA can be a benefit for preterm infants. In a study of 470 preterm infants, those fed preterm infant formulas supplemented with DHA and ARA showed improvement on a standard test of visual development.

For term infants, the Ross Products Division recently introduced Similac Advance with Iron, an infant formula that contains DHA and ARA, for those parents and health care professionals who want to feed a term infant formula supplemented with these fatty acids. Similac Advance has been found to support visual and cognitive development like that of the breastfed infant.

Ross' Similac With Iron infant formula is the number one choice of doctors for milk-based feedings. Ross is dedicated to conducting research to ensure that formula-fed infants receive the highest quality products to meet their nutritional needs.