title: French mothers' milk deficient in DHA contains phospholipid species of potential interest for infant development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An insufficient human milk docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) level was reported worldwide, which leads to the question of the sufficiency of the DHA supply for infant development in the French Mediterranean area. Also, among milk lipids, phospholipids may be of high potential interest for infant brain development, being a specific vector of DHA and providing plasmalogens. We aimed to estimate the consumption of such milk compounds by preterm and term infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Milk samples from 22 lactating French women living in a port city, Marseille, were collected in a neonatology department from a single full-breast expression using an electric pump. Amounts of triglycerides, total phospholipids and plasmalogens, and fatty acid profile were determined by gas chromatography, and cholesterol by enzymatic assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depending on the infant dietary guidelines we referred to, 46% or 82% of milk samples were below the recommended DHA level (0.4% or 0.7%), and a majority exhibited high linoleic acid/α-linolenic acid and n-6/n-3 ratios, probably resulting from high linoleic acid together with low fish and seafood products consumption. DHA carried by phospholipids in a majority of specimens met the requirements for brain development for term but not for premature infants. Milk plasmalogen levels ranged from 3.4 to 39.2  mg/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the recommendation of DHA supplementation to French mothers living in a Mediterranean port city, and of decreased linoleic acid intake, to reach optimal milk composition for infant health. DHA-containing phospholipids including plasmalogen species may represent important bioactive human milk compounds.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U476 Nutrition Humaine et Lipides, Marseille, F-13385 France.
authors.forename: Cyrielle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Millet
authors.forename: Thierry Charles
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Coste
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mimoun
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ridet
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antona
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Simeoni
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Armand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002657:Child Development; D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000172:deficiency; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D010955:Plasmalogens / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017747:Seafood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D010743:Phospholipids; D010955:Plasmalogens; D014280:Triglycerides; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids