New parents have heard it before: Breast milk is best for babies.

“It’s clear to me that even formula makers believe that,” said John Colombo, professor of psychology at Kansas University. “Their mantras are ‘Breast milk is best. But if you can’t (breastfeed), use a properly balanced formula.”

Now thanks to pioneering research nationwide, including studies by Colombo and a fellow KU professor, infant formula is even healthier for babies who can’t be breastfed.

The two major formula companies in the United States plan to add a crucial ingredient to their recipe called docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA.

“It’s something that gets it closer to breast milk and provides what many people think is an essential compound for general nutrition,” Colombo said.

DHA is a fatty acid found in pregnant women’s bloodstreams and breast milk. It’s proven to play a role in improving newborn babies’ eyesight and basic cognitive development, including attention.

Collaborating with Susan Carlson, professor of nutrition at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., Colombo’s research on infant attention confirmed the importance of DHA.

Formula makers took notice and decided to add the lipid to their products, Similac and Enfamil.

“It has the potential for affecting hundreds of thousands of babies,” Colombo said. “What its impact will be in the long run, it’s not exactly clear. But I think this is a good step.”

It’s a step that was more than a decade in the making: Colombo has collected data on infant attention for nearly 15 years.

“Occasionally something like this happens, where it does affect something in a larger realm,” he said. “It’s pretty neat.”