Indicators of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status of exclusively breastfed infants at delivery and after 20–22 days

• Published in: Early human development Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 207 - 218
• Main Authors: van Beusekom, C.M., Nijeboer, H.J., van der Veere, C.N., Luteyn, A.J., Offringa, P.J., Muskiet, F.A.J., Boersma, E.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.03.1993; New York,NY Elsevier; Amsterdam
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Breast Feeding; Cholesterol Esters - blood; Cholesterol Esters - chemistry; Delivery, Obstetric; erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - chemistry; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - analysis; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - chemistry; Female; Fetal Blood - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; human milk; Humans; Infant, Newborn - blood; Infant, Newborn - growth & development; Lipids. Glycolipids; long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; Milk, Human - metabolism; newborn; plasma cholesterol esters; Tropical medicine; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Central America; America; West Indies; Dominica; human milk; erythrocytes; newborn; plasma cholesterol esters; long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; Human; Biochemical analysis; Newborn; Long chain; Red blood cell; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Lipids; Chemical composition; Umbilical cord; Breast feeding; Cholesterol; Breast milk
• ISSN: 0378-3782; 1872-6232
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-3782(93)90013-K

The fatty acid composition of plasma cholesterol esters (CE), erythrocytes (RBC) and mature milk from seven lactating /women and their exclusively breastfed newborns, living on Dominica, were studied. Blood samples were taken from umbilical cord and mother at birth. A sample of breastmilk was collected on day 20–22 postpartum, together with a blood sample from the baby. At birth, cord blood plasma CE and RBC total long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) contents were higher, and linoleic (18:2c,ω6) and α-linolenic (18:3c,ω3) acid contents lower, than in corresponding maternal compartments. Cord blood RBC LC-PUFA ω3 content was lower and LC-PUFA ω6 content higher than in maternal RBC. After birth, feeding with human milk led to a drop in LC-PUFA content in the plasma CE fraction, whereas RBC LC-PUFA content remained virtually constant. Current understanding of the origin and relative affinity of fatty acids incorporated in plasma CE and RBC suggests that RBC LC-PUFA content is a more reliable parameter for LC-PUFA status than plasma CE LC-PUFA content. The RBC LC-PUFA data suggest therefore that at birth the newborn has a lower LC-PUFA ω3 status than the mother, and that this does not change during three weeks of exclusive breastfeeding.