Gestational age in relation to marine n-3 fatty acids in maternal erythrocytes: a study of women in the Faroe Islands and Denmark.
Gestation is longer in Faroese than Danish women, possibly because of the high intake of marine long-chain n-3 fatty acids that down regulates formation of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were quantified in erythrocytes obtained within 2 days of delivery from randomly selected groups of 62 Faroese and 37 Danish women with an assessable gestational age. Average ratio of long-chain n-3 fatty acids to arachidonic acid [(3/6) ratio] was 0.73 (SD = 0.11) in Faroese women and 0.61 (SD = 0.12) in Danish women (p less than 0.0001), corresponding to the higher intake of marine n-3 fatty acids in the Faroes. A 20% increase in the (3/6) ratio was associated with an increase in pregnancy duration of 5.7 days in Danish women (95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 10.1 days; p = 0.02) and 0.7 days in Faroese women (95% confidence interval, -2.0 to 3.3; p = 0.6). The hypothesized exposure-effect relationship may be weaker or absent at the higher level of exposure seen in the Faroese group.
Olsen
S F
SF
Academia Faeroensis, Faroe Islands.
Hansen
H S
HS
Sommer
S
S
Jensen
B
B
Sørensen
T I
TI
Secher
N J
NJ
Zachariassen
P
P
D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D003718:Denmark; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis
D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid