The Influence of Maternal Vegetarian Diet on Essential Fatty Acid Status of the Newborn

Reddy, Sheela; Sanders, T. A. B.; Obeid, Omar

doi:10.1159/000423559

Cited by 52 publications

(69 citation statements)

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“…It is perhaps surprising that no differences were observed between groups in the circulating fatty acids of umbilical cord blood, as other studies have reported variations in cord plasma and ERY in relation to maternal diet (Reddy et al 1994;Al et al 1995c;Sanjurjo et al 1995;van Houwelingen et al 1995;Connor et al 1996). However, habitually high intakes of marine foods in the maternal diet are not consistently associated with elevated n-3 PUFA in cord blood (Hornstra et al 1992), suggesting that other factors may be involved when the maternal-tofetal supply is adequate over long periods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation and fetal accretion

Montgomery¹,

Speake²,

Cameron³

et al. 2003

British Journal of Nutrition

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Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (22 : 6n-3) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is an essential constituent of membranes, particularly of the nervous system. Infants acquire DHA from their mothers, either prenatally via the placenta or postnatally in milk. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that maternal supplementation during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy enriches maternal and/or fetal DHA status. In a randomised, prospective, double-blind study 100 mothers received either fish-oil capsules containing 400 mg DHA/g (200 mg/d) (n 50), or placebo containing 810 mg oleic acid/g (400 mg/d) (n 50) from 15 weeks gestation until term. Venous blood samples were obtained from mothers at 15, 28 and 40 weeks, and from the umbilical cord at birth. Total fatty acids in plasma and erythrocytes were analysed by GC -MS. There were no significant differences between maternal groups in baseline DHA, as a proportion of total fatty acids (g/100 g total fatty acids) or concentration (nmol/ml), in plasma and erythrocytes. DHA concentrations in plasma at 28 weeks (P=0·02) and erythrocytes at both 28 weeks (P=0·03) and term (P=0·02) were 20 % higher in supplemented mothers than the placebo group. DHA accounted for a higher proportion of total fatty acids in erythrocytes of supplemented mothers at 28 weeks (P=0·003) and term (P=0·01). There were no significant differences between groups in DHA (g/100 g total fatty acids or nmol/l) in cord blood. Maternal DHA status was maximal in mid-trimester and declined to term, at a lower rate in supplemented compared with unsupplemented mothers. Maternal DHA supplementation significantly increases maternal DHA status and limits the last trimester decline in maternal status, aiding preferential transfer of DHA from mother to fetus.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation and fetal accretion

Montgomery¹,

Speake²,

Cameron³

et al. 2003

British Journal of Nutrition

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“…This group is of particular concern as the exclusion of meat or fish from the diet can result in very low intakes of DHA. In some studies, these have been reported as 'zero' or 'trace' (Sanders & Reddy, 1992;Reddy et al, 1994), but in reality it is very difficult to exclude DHA from the diet completely as it is found in significant amounts in eggs but also in measurable amounts in highly processed foods, which may contain small amounts of eggs and other DHA containing raw ingredients. We previously recorded an intake of around 10 mg/day (Lakin et al, 1998) in vegetarian women, but more recently have measured higher intakes (30 mg/day) using a more comprehensive database and improved questionnaire (Masson et al, 2003).…”

Section: Maternal Dietmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fatty acid composition of the maternal diet has a direct effect on the availability of individual fatty acids within the fetal circulation (Van Houwelingen et al, 1992;Reddy et al, 1994;Al et al, 1996Al et al, , 2000Otto et al, 1997;Lakin et al, 1998;De Vriese et al, 2002). However, cross-country comparisons of fatty acid concentrations in pregnancy indicate that the gradient of the line relating maternal and cord blood individual fatty acids is greater for DHA than AA (Otto et al, 1997).…”

Section: Interaction Of Placental Function With Maternal Dietmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of placental function on fatty acid requirements during pregnancy

Haggarty¹

2004

Eur J Clin Nutr

186

156

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The fetus has an absolute requirement for the n-3/n-6 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3; DHA) in particular is essential for the development of the brain and retina. Most of the fat deposition in the fetus occurs in the last 10 weeks of pregnancy. The likely rate of DHA utilisation during late pregnancy cannot be met from dietary sources alone in a significant proportion of mothers. De novo synthesis makes up some of the shortfall but the available evidence suggests that the maternal adipose tissue makes a significant contribution to placental transport to the fetus. The placenta plays a crucial role in mobilising the maternal adipose tissue and actively concentrating and channelling the important n-3/n-6 fatty acids to the fetus via multiple mechanisms including selective uptake by the syncytiotrophoblast, intracellular metabolic channelling, and selective export to the fetal circulation. These mechanisms protect the fetus against low long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) intakes in the last trimester of pregnancy and have the effect of reducing the maternal dietary requirement for preformed DHA at this time. As a result of these adaptations, small changes in the composition of the habitual maternal diet before pregnancy are likely to be more effective in improving LCPUFA delivery to the fetus than large dietary changes in late pregnancy. There is little evidence that DHA intake/status in the second half of pregnancy affects visual and cognitive function in the offspring, but more studies are needed, particularly in children born to vegetarian and vegan and mothers who may have very low intakes of DHA.

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“…All studies published to date are supportive of the hypothesis that South Asians have lower LC n-3 PUFA levels (EPA and DHA) and higher n-6 PUFA levels (linoleic acid and arachidonic acid) compared with matched Caucasians (Reddy et al 1994;Das, 1995;Miller et al 1988;Lovegrove et al 2004). Plateletmembrane n-3 PUFA levels were measured as an index of n-3 PUFA status in a group of seventy-two UK Sikhs ).…”

Section: Dietary Pufa and Cvd Riskmentioning

confidence: 92%

CVD risk in South Asians: the importance of defining adiposity and influence of dietary polyunsaturated fat

Lovegrove

2007

Proc. Nutr. Soc.

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The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), CVD and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is known to be higher in populations from the Indian subcontinent compared with the general UK population. While identification of this increased risk is crucial to allow for effective treatment, there is controversy over the applicability of diagnostic criteria, and particularly measures of adiposity in ethnic minorities. Diagnostic cut-offs for BMI and waist circumference have been largely derived from predominantly white Caucasian populations and, therefore, have been inappropriate and not transferable to Asian groups. Many Asian populations, particularly South Asians, have a higher total and central adiposity for a similar body weight compared with matched Caucasians and greater CVD risk associated with a lower BMI. Although the causes of CVD and T2D are multi-factorial, diet is thought to make a substantial contribution to the development of these diseases. Low dietary intakes and tissue levels of long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA in South Asian populations have been linked to high-risk abnormalities in the MetS. Conversely, increasing the dietary intake of LC n-3 PUFA in South Asians has proved an effective strategy for correcting such abnormalities as dyslipidaemia in the MetS. Appropriate diagnostic criteria that include a modified definition of adiposity must be in place to facilitate the early detection and thus targeted treatment of increased risk in ethnic minorities.

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The Influence of Maternal Vegetarian Diet on Essential Fatty Acid Status of the Newborn

Cited by 52 publications

References 0 publications

Maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation and fetal accretion

Maternal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation and fetal accretion

Effect of placental function on fatty acid requirements during pregnancy

CVD risk in South Asians: the importance of defining adiposity and influence of dietary polyunsaturated fat

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