title: Effect of type of early infant feeding on fatty acid composition of plasma lipid classes in full-term infants during the second 6 months of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previously, the authors found significantly higher arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid values in plasma lipids in 2-month-old full-term infants fed human milk than in those receiving formula. This is the report of data obtained in full-term infants during the second half of the first year of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy, full-term infants fed human milk (n = 12) or formula without preformed long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n = 12) were investigated. Fatty acid composition of plasma lipid classes was determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linoleic acid acid values in plasma phospholipids (18.5 [3.94] vs. 20.79 [4.34]) and gamma-linolenic acid values in plasma cholesteryl esters (0.17 [0.09] vs. 0.27 [0.20]) and triacylglycerols (0.27 [0.18] vs. 0.46 [0.27]) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in breast-fed infants than in those receiving formula. Data are percentage weight by weight shown as median (range from 1st to 3rd quartile) for breast-fed vs. formula fed infants, respectively. In contrast, arachidonic acid values in plasma phospholipids (10.05 [2.90] vs. 7.03 [1.87]; P < 0.01), cholesteryl esters (7.54 [3.58] vs. 4.09 [1.81]; P < 0.05), and triacylglycerols (1.28 [0.84] vs. 0.80 [0.39]; P < 0.05), as well as docosahexaenoic acid values in plasma phospholipids (1.92 [0.36] vs. 1.02 [0.31]; P < 0.001), cholesteryl esters (0.39 [0.13] vs. 0.15 [0.13]; P < 0.001), and triacylglycerols (0.17 [0.17] vs. 0.09 [0.04]; P < 0.01) were significantly higher in infants fed human milk than in those receiving formula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthy, full-term infants fed formula without preformed dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are unable to match the arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid status of breast-fed infants even during the second half of the first year of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University Medical School of Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Decsi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kelemen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minda
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Burus
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kohn
mesh_terms: D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000097:blood; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008895:Milk, Human; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid