title: Whole blood fatty acid composition differs in term versus mildly preterm infants: small versus matched appropriate for gestational age.
abstract: To investigate the associations between whole blood fatty acid (FA) profile and restricted intrauterine growth, any small for gestational age (SGA) infant born in our maternity ward through 1 y was matched with two appropriate for gestational age (AGA), of the same GA +/- 0.5 wk, infants, further subdivided into term and preterm. Whole blood was collected at d 4 on a strip and FA % composition assessed by means of gas chromatography. The whole sample consisted of 28 SGA versus 56 AGA born at term and 20 SGA versus 40 AGA born preterm at around 35 wks. Parent FA of the n-6 and n-3 FA families were higher in preterm groups, whereas docosahexaenoic acid was higher in term AGA (median % values, 3.9 versus 3.7 in term SGA, 2.8 in preterm AGA, and 2.5 in preterm SGA, p < 0.001). Term AGA had markedly higher values for the docosahexaenoic acid/alpha-linolenic acid ratio (median value: 91, versus 18 in term SGA, 12 in preterm AGA, and 10 in preterm SGA, p < 0.001). Term SGA had significantly lower levels of total monounsaturated FA and higher levels of eicosapentaenoic acid. Therefore, the 4-d whole blood FA pattern is associated with both GA and birth weight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. carlo.agostoni@unimi.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agostoni
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marangoni
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stival
authors.forename: Italo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gatelli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Risé
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riva
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid