title: Comparison of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid content in human milk in preterm and term deliveries and its correlation with mothers' diet.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human milk (HM) is the main food for infants, and phospholipids, especially long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), play an essential role in the growth and brain development. This study was designed to evaluate the fatty acid composition in HM of mothers with preterm and full-term newborns and to determine the relationships of dietary intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) of mothers and the content of these fatty acids in their milks.
  
  
  METHODS
  The AA and DHA of HM were determined by gas chromatography at the 3(rd) day after birth from mothers of 59 term and 58 preterm infants. Mothers were selected from those who delivered in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, a referral teaching hospital affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Dietary fat composition of mothers was examined by a food-frequency questionnaire. Total fat content, and DHA and AA levels of HM were compared in both groups. The correlation of dietary DHA and AA with DHA and AA of HM was determined in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that maternal age, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported food-frequency questionnaire did not differ in the two groups. The mean AA (0.19 ± 0.10 mg/ml and 0.16 ± 0.09 mg/ml, respectively), DHA (0.10 ± 0.06 mg/ml and 0.08 ± 0.05 mg/ml, respectively), and total fat content (2.58 ± 2.16 g/dl and 2.06 ± 1.22 g/dl, respectively) of HM of mothers with preterm neonates were non-significantly higher than in mothers with term neonates. The percentage of DHA in the HM fat of preterm and term groups (0.45 ± 0.16% and 0.45 ± 0.18%, respectively) and the percentage of AA (0.85 ± 0.26% and 0.84 ± 0.20%, respectively) were comparable with worldwide standards. No correlations were documented between DHA and AA intake and DHA and AA content of HM in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although DHA and AA content of HM in preterm group was higher than in term group, this difference were not significant. In Isfahan, the percentage of DHA and AA was acceptable in the milk fat of mothers with term and preterm neonates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iranpour
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kelishadi
authors.forename: Sharareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babaie
authors.forename: Kianoush
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khosravi-Darani
authors.forename: Sanam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farajian
keywords: Human milk; polyunsaturated fatty acids; premature neonate
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