Abstract
BackgroundN-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) may have multiple beneficial effects on the outcome of pregnancy, maternal health and child development. The present study introduced the protocol of a birth cohort study to examine the beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA status in pregnant Japanese women as an adjunct study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS).MethodsThe JECS participants in the coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture were further invited to participate in this adjunct study, and 1,878 pregnant women were enrolled prior to delivery. Their n-3 PUFA status was evaluated with fatty acid profiles in erythrocytes of maternal blood collected from 1,623 mothers at 24–30 weeks of gestation and cord blood from 1,505 deliveries.ResultsThe baseline results, including comprehensive data on the fatty acid status and determinants affecting the PUFA status, were analyzed. In stepwise multivariate analyses, the cord blood docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) level was found to be significantly influenced by the DHA level in maternal blood, the child’s sex, and the gestational period. The maternal DHA level was influenced by fish intake, maternal age, and the prepregnancy body mass index. While cord blood eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was influenced by maternal EPA, fish intake, and season at birth, additional factors such as maternal education, household income, and smoking habits affected the maternal EPA content.ConclusionFurther studies are warranted to clarify the nutritional impacts of n-3 PUFA in pregnant Japanese women of the cohort study.
Highlights
N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) may have multiple beneficial effects on the outcome of pregnancy, maternal health and child development
Fish are contaminated with several toxic chemicals such as methylmercury and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) through bioaccumulation in the aquatic food chain. Prenatal exposure to these chemicals induces several adverse effects, including fetal growth impairment [12, 13] and delayed neurobehavioral development [14, 15]. These findings suggest the necessity of mutual adjustment of both factors, and the balance of the beneficial and adverse effects of fish consumption should be considered to explore the nutritional benefits of n-3 PUFA in pregnancy for fish-eating populations, including Japanese women
Registration and basic characteristics Of the 9,217 Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) participants, 1,878 pregnant women joined in the adjunct study (Fig. 2)
Summary
N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) may have multiple beneficial effects on the outcome of pregnancy, maternal health and child development. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) are of critical importance during pregnancy and early life. Several observational studies and randomized trials showed the beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA during pregnancy and/or lactation for normal fetal and postnatal child growth and development such as cognitive performance, attention, information processing, and visual acuity [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy are reported to be associated with an adverse fatty acid profile such as higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and n-6 PUFA in plasma of pregnant women [10]. The causal relation with fatty acid intake remains undetermined, these findings suggest the importance of the quality of the fatty acid profile in pregnant women
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