Are There Changes in the Fatty Acid Profile of Breast Milk with Supplementation of Omega-3 Sources? A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate the effect of supplementation with omega-3 sources on the fatty acid composition of human milk. Methods The review consisted of the search for articles published in PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (Virtual Health Library[VHL]) and Web of Science databases using the following keywords: fatty acids, omega-3, human milk and supplementation; for this purpose, we have used the program of research to integrate the services for the maintenance of autonomy (PRISMA) checklist. The following selection criteria were used: articles in English, Portuguese, Spanish or Italian, published between 2000 and 2015, and about studies performed in humans. We found 710 articles that met the established criteria; however, only 22 of them were selected to be part of this study. Results All studies found a positive relationship between the consumption of omega-3 sources and their concentration in human milk. The differences in the findings are due to the distinct methods used, such as the specific time of the omega-3 supplementation, the type of omega-3 source offered, as well as the sample size. Conclusion Although the studies were different in several methodological aspects, it was possible to observe the importance of omega-3 supplementation during gestation and/or the puerperium.

Nutritional and Non-nutritional Composition of Human Milk Is Modulated by Maternal, Infant, and Methodological Factors

“…On the contrary, women who consumed 2 portions of salmon per week from 20 week of pregnancy until delivery showed higher proportions of EPA (80%), DPA (30%), and DHA (90%) on day 5 post-partum ( 24 ). The impact of omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation on HM FA is well-studied: a systematic review found a positive relationship between the consumption of omega-3 sources and their concentration in HM, despite differences in the methods used, timing of supplementation, source of omega-3 source used, and the sample size ( 25 ). Supplementation with fish oil starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy until delivery not only increased the long-chain omega-3 FAs in HM during early lactation (up to 6 weeks post-partum), furthermore DHA levels at day 3, 6, weeks and 6 months were positively associated with infant DHA status at 1 year ( 26 ).…”

Pilot study of the effect of EPA + DHA supplementation on the fatty acid profile of erythrocytes and breast milk of lactating women from Sonsón, Colombia

“…Breast milk fatty acids can be obtained via mobilization of maternal reserves, mainly adipose tissue; from the endogenous synthesis in the liver and breast tissue; and from dietary sources ( Luxwolda et al, 2014 ; Siziba et al, 2020 ; Amaral et al, 2017 ). Our study found that the fatty acids with the highest concentrations in milk were palmitic acid-16:0, oleic acid-18:1 n -9 and linoleic acid-18:2 n -6, which is consistent with studies of Spanish ( Sánchez-Hernández et al, 2019 ), Greek ( Antonakou et al, 2013 ) and Chilean ( Barrera et al, 2018 ) women.…”

Human milk fatty acid profile across lactational stages after term and preterm delivery: A pooled data analysis

“…Several studies were excluded for being a review or not including original data. The secondary literature from these papers [28,31,[45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53] was retrieved and examined in full-text to assess validity according to our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, 55 studies were included in the pooled data analysis ( Fig.…”