title: Serum long chain n-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in the pregnant mother are independent of risk of type 1 diabetes in the offspring.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article aims to study whether higher proportions of the long chain n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the phospholipid fraction of serum samples in pregnancy were associated with a lower risk of childhood onset type 1 diabetes in the offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective cohort of nearly 30 000 pregnant women who gave birth in Norway during 1992-1994, we analysed serum samples from 89 women whose child developed type 1 diabetes and was included in the nationwide Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry and 125 randomly selected women whose child did not develop type 1 diabetes before 15 years of age. Specific fatty acids were expressed as the proportion of total fatty acids (g/100 g) in the phospholipid fraction in serum analysed using solid phase extraction and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant association between EPA or DHA in maternal serum and risk of type 1 diabetes in the offspring. Odds ratio (OR) for upper versus lower quartile of EPA was 0.75 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-1.65], test for trend p = 0.4, and for DHA OR = 0.71 (95% CI 0.33-1.53), test for trend p = 0.6. No significant association was found for the sum of n-3 fatty acids, or for n-6/n-3 ratio in the mother with risk of type 1 diabetes in the offspring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data did not support the hypothesis that higher proportions of maternal EPA or DHA during pregnancy are associated with a lower risk of type 1 diabetes in the offspring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Oslo, Norway. i.m.sorensen@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joner
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jenum
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskild
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Stene
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers; D009664:Norway; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid