Erythrocyte fatty acids of term infants fed either breast milk, standard formula, or formula supplemented with long-chain polyunsaturates.
The purpose of our study was to assess whether a supplement of fish oil (FO) and evening primrose oil (EPO) for formula-fed infants was capable of avoiding reductions in erythrocyte docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) associated with standard formula feeding. Healthy, term infants, whose mothers chose to formula feed, were randomized to either a placebo or supplemented formula for their first 30 wk of life. A reference group of beast-fed infants also was enrolled. Erythrocyte fatty acids were measured by capillary gas chromatography on day 5 and in weeks 6, 16, and 30. Supplementation of formula with 0.36% of total fatty acids as DHA resulted in erythrocyte DHA being maintained at or above breast-fed levels for the entire 30-wk study period, and breast feeding (0.21% DHA) resulted in a modest fall in erythrocyte DHA relative to baseline (day 5) values. The level of erythrocyte DHA in placebo formula-fed infants was halved by week 16. AA levels decreased in all infants in the first six weeks, but the levels in breast- and placebo formula-fed infants increased with age and returned to approximate baseline (day 5) values by 16 and 30 wk of age, respectively. Erythrocyte AA in FO+EPO-supplemented infants remained low and below breast- and placebo formula-fed levels. Our data suggest that dietary supplementation with DHA at 0.36% total fatty acids results in erythrocyte DHA levels above those found in breast-fed infants. EPO supplementation was not effective at maintaining erythrocyte AA when given with FO.
Makrides
M
M
Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park (Adelaide), Australia.
Neumann
M A
MA
Simmer
K
K
Gibson
R A
RA
D000375:Aging; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008895:Milk, Human; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010938:Plant Oils; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005395:Fish Oils; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid