title: Dietary intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids among pregnant Mexican women.
abstract: Nutritional demands for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are high during pregnancy. Diets low in DHA and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty-acids (LC-PUFA) in pregnancy are associated with poorer DHA status and slower reestablishment of maternal stores. To assess intakes of LC-PUFA among urban pregnant women in Central Mexico, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in Prenatal Clinic at the General Hospital No. 1 of the Mexican Society Security Institute, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. We ascertained intakes over past three months of 110 food items using a food frequency questionnaire developed for this population. Among 1364 pregnant women 18-35 years of age (mean age 26.2 ± 4.7 years) who were interviewed at 18-22 weeks gestation, median (inter-quartile range) daily intakes of linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (LA), arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA were 17.6 (13.6; 22.2) g, 1.4 (1.0; 2.0) g, 137 (102; 174) mg, 18 (10; 38) mg, and 55 (37; 99) mg respectively. The median ratio of n-6 to n-3 PUFA was 11.8:1. The main dietary contributions to DHA intake were eggs, chicken, and fresh canned fish. Intakes of PUFAs were higher among women who had completed high school (p<0.01). We conclude that intakes of DHA were much lower than recommended values; the high n-6 to n-3 ratio suggests a suboptimal balance of these PUFAs. Very few sources of DHA are commonly eaten.
authors.affiliation: Center of Population Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Socorro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parra-Cabrera
authors.forename: Aryeh D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Reynaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martorell
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D008800:Mexico; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid