Essential fatty acids and especially omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in visual and brain development in infants. Pre-term infants often have poor vision and one of the reasons for this might be because they receive less than 30% of the omega 3's they would have received as a fetus.
Human breast milk contains an ideal ratio of omega 3 : omega 6 fatty acids of 1:3 and is therefore the ideal nutrient for newborns. If breast milk is not available, formulas with soybean oil that provide higher amounts of omega-3's are more beneficial than cow milk.
This has also been proved in several studies: Babies given formulas with the ideal ratios of omega 3 : omega 6 had better vision than babies on formulas without additional essential fatty acids.
Omega 3 deficiencies in adults can also lead to impaired vision. Prolonged deficiencies might even cause retinal/macular damage. Studies have also shown, that an excess of omega-6 fatty acids were associated with an increased risk of macular degeneration, but that omega-3 fatty acids protected against it and also decreased the risk of developing dry eye syndrome.
The retina is especially rich in DHA - a type of omega 3 fatty acid - which suggests that DHA plays a very important role in visual function. The retina continues to need an adequate supply of fatty acids to build its cells and as already mentioned above, sufficient amounts of omega-3 reduces the risk of macular degeneration, which is the most frequent cause of blindness in the world today.
