A nutritional composition for infants comprises a protein source, a lipid source and a carbohydrate source wherein the lipid source includes at least 16 wt % linoleic acid and at least 2 wt % α-linolenic acid expressed as a percentage of total fatty acid content in each case and in amounts such that the ratio of linoleic acid:α-linolenic acid is in the range from 1 to 10.