title: Fatty acid supply to the human fetus.
abstract: Deposition of fat in the fetus increases exponentially with gestational age, reaching its maximal rate-around 7 g/day or 90% of energy deposition-at term. In late pregnancy, many women consuming contemporary Western diets may not be able to meet the fetal demand for n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) from the diet alone. Numerous mechanisms have evolved to protect human offspring from extreme variation or deficiency in the maternal diet during pregnancy. Maternal adipose tissue is an important source of LCPUFA. Temporal changes in placental function are synchronized with maternal metabolic and physiological changes to ensure a continuous supply of n-3 and n-6 LCPUFA-enriched fat to the fetus. LCPUFA storage in fetal adipose tissue provides an important source of LCPUFA during the critical first months of postnatal life. An appreciation of these adaptations is important in any nutritional strategy designed to improve the availability of fatty acids to the fetus.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Epigenetics Group, Rowett Institute of Nutrition & Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB21 9SB, Scotland, United Kingdom. p.haggarty@abdn.ac.uk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haggarty
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated