title: Effect of dietary intervention to reduce the n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio on maternal and fetal fatty acid profile and its relation to offspring growth and body composition at 1 year of age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence is accumulating that the long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) are associated with offspring growth and body composition. We investigated the relationship between LCPUFAs in red blood cells (RBCs) of pregnant women/breastfeeding mothers and umbilical cord RBCs of their neonates with infant growth and body composition ≤ 1 year of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In an open-label randomized, controlled trial, 208 healthy pregnant women received a dietary intervention (daily supplementation with 1200 mg n-3 LCPUFAs and dietary counseling to reduce arachidonic acid (AA) intake) from the 15th week of gestation until 4 months of lactation or followed their habitual diet. Fatty acids of plasma phospholipids (PLs) and RBCs from maternal and cord blood were determined and associated with infant body weight, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass and fat mass assessed by skinfold thickness measurements and ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dietary intervention significantly reduced the n-6/n-3 LCPUFA ratio in maternal and cord-blood plasma PLs and RBCs. Maternal RBCs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), n-3 LCPUFAs and n-6 LCPUFAs at the 32nd week of gestation were positively related to birth weight. Maternal n-3 LCPUFAs, n-6 LCPUFAs and AA were positively associated with birth length. Maternal RBCs AA and n-6 LCPUFAs were significantly negatively related to BMI and Ponderal Index at 1 year postpartum, but not to fat mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal DHA, AA, total n-3 LCPUFAs and n-6 LCPUFAs might serve as prenatal growth factors, while n-6 LCPUFAs also seems to regulate postnatal growth. The maternal n-6/n-3 LCPUFA ratio does not appear to have a role in adipose tissue development during early postnatal life.
authors: Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Much
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Brunner
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Vollhardt
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Schmid
authors: E-M
authors: EM
authors: Sedlmeier
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Brüderl
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Heimberg
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Bartke
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Boehm
authors: B L
authors: BL
authors: Bader
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Amann-Gassner
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Hauner
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001823:Body Composition; D001942:Breast Feeding; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005395:Fish Oils; D010743:Phospholipids