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

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.

The effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids intake during pregnancy on adiposity of healthy full-term offspring at birth

“…1,4,6,11 This positive association is not consistent with the findings of either Hauner et al 13 or Much et al, 14 who did not find significant effect of the variation in n-6:n-3 LCPUFA ratio intake during pregnancy and lactation on offspring fat mass during the first year of life. Hauner et al 13 estimated total body fat using skinfold measurements and Much et al…”

“…12 Most studies have relied on birth weight and indirect growth variables such as BMI or BMI Z-scores, which do not distinguish between the major components of body mass. 6 Other studies 13,14 have used skinfolds to estimate body fat mass, but limitations of this method in predicting body fat in neonatal age have been reported. 15 Assessment of body composition, rather than birth size alone, should give better insight into quality of growth and contribute to clarify the lack of consistency between studies on the effect of maternal LCPUFA intake on fetal growth.…”

Current Information and Asian Perspectives on Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Pregnancy, Lactation, and Infancy: Systematic Review and Practice Recommendations from an Early Nutrition Academy Workshop

“…Three studies published after 2008 confirmed the positive effects of n-3 LC-PUFA interventions during pregnancy on birth-size, with larger birth weights and head circumferences in infants of supplemented mothers [15,21,22]. In one of these studies in Mexico, these effects were only seen in firstborn infants [15].…”

“…No impact of cod liver oil supplementation during pregnancy and the first 3 months after delivery was found on children's height, weight, or BMI at 7 years of age [40]. Maternal AA and n-6 LC-PUFA concentrations during gestation and lactation were negatively related to the BMI and the ponderal index at 1 year of age [21], but no differences in abdominal fat mass or fat distribution were observed in infants of German mothers supplemented with 1,200 mg n-3 LC-PUFA from the 15th week gestation until 4 months postpartum [71]. …”

Maternal Fish Oil Supplementation Affects the Social Behavior, Brain Fatty Acid Profile, and Sickness Response of Piglets

“…Several lines of evidence, however, suggest that high dietary ALA in lactating mothers is not as effective as DHA at increasing DHA concentrations in the breast milk of humans (26) and in the brain cell membrane of the offspring of rats (27) and pigs (28). Maternal dietary DHA supplementation, on the other hand, has been linked to positive developmental outcomes in offspring (29)(30)(31).…”