title: Prenatal fatty acid status and child adiposity at age 3 y: results from a US pregnancy cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in early life may influence adiposity development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the extent to which prenatal n-3 (omega-3) and n-6 (omega-6) PUFA concentrations were associated with childhood adiposity.
  
  
  METHODS
  In mother-child pairs in the Project Viva cohort, we assessed midpregnancy fatty acid intakes (n = 1120), maternal plasma PUFA concentrations (n = 227), and umbilical cord plasma PUFA concentrations (n = 302). We performed multivariable regression analyses to examine independent associations of n-3 PUFAs, including docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids (DHA + EPA), n-6 PUFAs, and the ratio of n-6:n-3 PUFAs, with child adiposity at age 3 y measured by the sum of subscapular and triceps skinfold thicknesses (SS + TR) and risk of obesity (body mass index ≥95th percentile for age and sex).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (±SD) DHA + EPA intake was 0.15 ± 0.14 g DHA + EPA/d, maternal plasma concentration was 1.9 ± 0.6%, and umbilical plasma concentration was 4.6 ± 1.2%. In children, SS + TR was 16.7 ± 4.3 mm, and 9.4% of children were obese. In the adjusted analysis, there was an association between each SD increase in DHA + EPA and lower child SS + TR [-0.31 mm (95% CI: -0.58, -0.04 mm) for maternal diet and -0.91 mm (95% CI: -1.63, -0.20 mm) for cord plasma] and lower odds of obesity [odds ratio (95% CI): 0.68 (0.50, 0.92) for maternal diet and 0.09 (0.02, 0.52) for cord plasma]. Maternal plasma DHA + EPA concentration was not significantly associated with child adiposity. A higher ratio of cord plasma n-6:n-3 PUFAs was associated with higher SS + TR and odds of obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An enhanced maternal-fetal n-3 PUFA status was associated with lower childhood adiposity.
authors.affiliation: Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Sara M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.forename: Sheryl L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rifas-Shiman
authors.forename: Diane R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Zeina E
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Jouni
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Gillman
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oken
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6