Effect of different types of feeding on fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane lipids in full-term infants.
Significantly higher levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in plasma lipids have previously been reported in 2 to 8-wk-old as well as in 6 to 12-mo-old full-term infants fed exclusively human milk than in infants exclusively receiving formula without AA and DHA. However, in real life many infants receive both human milk and breast milk substitute formula. Healthy, full-term infants aged 2 to 12 mo and fed exclusively human milk (n = 29, age: 29.2 [14.6] wk, mean [SD], no human milk substitute formula), exclusively formula without AA and DHA (n = 30, age: 26.6 [15.2] wk, no human milk after the age of 1 mo) or combined diet (n = 38, age: 30.3 [12.8] wk, human milk for > 1 mo and breast milk substitute formula) were investigated in this cross-sectional study. Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyeline lipids was determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography. The most pronounced diet-related differences were seen in PE lipids. Values of PE alpha-linolenic acid (0.07 [0.05] vs 0.26 [0.18] vs 0.19 [0.19], median [range from the 1st to the 3rd quartile], exclusively breastfed vs. exclusively formula fed vs combined diet), eicosapentaenoic acid (0.19 [0.13] vs 0.35 [0.23] vs 0.27 [0.31]) and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (1.34 [0.42] vs 1.86 [0.62] vs 1.58 [0.73]) were significantly lower in exclusively breastfed infants than in those fed formula, exclusively or partially. In contrast, PE AA (26.48 [2.50] vs 24.34 [4.74] vs 24.94 [3.64]) and DHA (4.93 [2.91] vs 3.51 [2.14] vs 3.58 [2.27]) values were significantly higher in exclusively breastfed infants than in the other two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In full-term infants aged 2 to 12 mo, erythrocyte membrane AA and DHA values are significantly higher with exclusive breastfeeding than with partial breastfeeding or exclusive feeding of formula without AA and DHA.
Minda
H
H
Department of Paediatrics, University of Pécs, Hungary.
Molnár
S
S
Burus
I
I
Decsi
T
T
D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D008297:Male; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008895:Milk, Human
D005227:Fatty Acids; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid