title: Smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy affects preterm infants' docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status.
abstract: This study investigated the effect of alcohol consumption and smoking during pregnancy on the fatty acid composition of the infants. A total of 40 very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, weighing between 750 and 1500 g, were enrolled in the study after being hospitalized and ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Maternal and infant demographic information was recorded. Questions regarding maternal smoking (none, < 10 and > or = 10 cigarettes/d) and alcohol consumption (none, occasionally, moderate and severe) were recorded. Erythrocyte membrane (EMB; n = 40) total fatty acid analyses were performed at birth (baseline) and on days 14 and 28 postnatally. During pregnancy, 42% of mothers consumed alcohol and 50% smoked. At birth, infants of mothers who smoked and consumed alcohol during pregnancy, had significantly higher blood docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; p < 0.05) than infants of mothers who abstained from both alcohol and smoking. The consequences of this finding remain unknown.
authors.affiliation: National Research Programme for Nutritional Intervention, MRC, Tygerberg, South Africa. marius.smuts@mrc.ac.za
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Smuts
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Tichelaar
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dhansay
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Kirsten
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids