Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of breast milk in pre-eclamptic mothers.
BACKGROUND
Maternal fatty acid nutrition during pregnancy and lactation determines the transfer of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids via the placenta and through human milk. Neural maturation of breast-fed infants is known to be linked to breast-milk long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations. In spite of this, the fatty acid composition of breast milk in pre-eclamptic mothers is poorly understood.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the fatty acid composition of breast milk of pre-eclamptic (n = 45) with normotensive (n = 85) mothers and examine the association of breast-milk fatty acids with plasma fatty acids.


METHODS
Milk and plasma fatty acid methyl esters were prepared and analyzed by the modified method of Manku and colleagues using gas chromatography.


RESULTS
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in breast milk in spite of lower maternal plasma DHA concentrations (p < 0.05) in pre-eclamptic women. However, there was no difference in arachidonic acid levels between groups in spite of reduced maternal plasma arachidonic acid levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that in pre-eclampsia, the relation between plasma and milk DHA is altered. The resulting higher milk DHA concentrations are beneficial for infants.
Department of Nutritional Medicine, Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Dhankawadi Campus, Pune 411043, India.
Kamini D
KD
Dangat
Savita S
SS
Mehendale
Hemlata R
HR
Yadav
Anitha S
AS
Kilari
Asmita V
AV
Kulkarni
Vaishali S
VS
Taralekar
Sadhana R
SR
Joshi
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D055442:Metabolome; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated