| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS |
-linolenic acid supplementation during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal polyunsaturated fatty acid status and pregnancy outcome1,2,3
1 From the Department of Human Biology (RHMdG and ACvH) and the Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM) (RHMdG, GH, and ACvH), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Atrium Medical Center, Heerlen, Netherlands (FR).
Background: Maternal essential fatty acid status declines during pregnancy, and as a result, neonatal concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) may not be optimal.
Objective: Our objective was to improve maternal and neonatal fatty acid status by supplementing pregnant women with a combination of 
-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) and linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6), the ultimate dietary precursors of DHA and AA, respectively.
Design: From week 14 of gestation until delivery, pregnant women consumed daily 25 g margarine supplying either 2.8 g ALA + 9.0 g LA (n = 29) or 10.9 g LA (n = 29). Venous blood was collected for plasma phospholipid fatty acid analyses at weeks 14, 26, and 36 of pregnancy, at delivery, and at 32 wk postpartum. Umbilical cord blood and vascular tissue samples were collected to study neonatal fatty acid status also. Pregnancy outcome variables were assessed.
Results: ALA+LA supplementation did not prevent decreases in maternal DHA and AA concentrations during pregnancy and, compared with LA supplementation, did not increase maternal and neonatal DHA concentrations but significantly increased eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) concentrations. In addition, ALA+LA supplementation lowered neonatal AA status. No significant differences in pregnancy outcome variables were found.
Conclusions: Maternal ALA+LA supplementation did not promote neonatal DHA+AA status. The lower concentrations of Osbond acid (22:5n-6) in maternal plasma phospholipids and umbilical arterial wall phospholipids with ALA+LA supplementation than with LA supplementation suggest only that functional DHA status improves with ALA+LA supplementation.
Key Words: Docosahexaenoic acid • arachidonic acid • -linolenic acid • linoleic acid • Osbond acid • pregnancy • neonatal outcome • essential fatty acids • pregnant women • fatty acid intakes • birth weight • gestational age
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. M Innis and R. W Friesen Essential n-3 fatty acids in pregnant women and early visual acuity maturation in term infants Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2008; 87(3): 548 - 557. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C King and M Fewtrell Fishing for brain power? Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., January 1, 2008; 93(1): F4 - F6. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Dubnov-Raz, Y. Finkelstein, and G. Koren {omega}-3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy: For mother, baby, or neither? Can Fam Physician, May 1, 2007; 53(5): 817 - 818. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. M. Innis Dietary (n-3) Fatty Acids and Brain Development J. Nutr., April 1, 2007; 137(4): 855 - 859. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Szajewska, A. Horvath, and B. Koletzko Effect of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of women with low-risk pregnancies on pregnancy outcomes and growth measures at birth: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2006; 83(6): 1337 - 1344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. L Jensen Effects of n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2006; 83(6): S1452 - 1457S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
