EFFECT OF MATERNAL DOCOSAHEXAENOIC (DHA) SUPPLEMENTATION ON MILK AND INFANT PLASMA DHA. ▴ 1857

Abstract

The DHA content of plasma lipids of breast-fed infants, although higher than that of formula-fed infants, decreases over the first few weeks of life as does the DHA content of human milk. To determine if DHA supplementation of lactating mothers can prevent the decrease in DHA content of milk and infant plasma, breastfeeding women were assigned randomly to one of 3 DHA supplements, all providing daily DHA intakes of 200-260 mg, and the DHA content of their milk and infant's plasma was determined before and after supplementation. Group 1 (n=6) received an algae-produced high-DHA triglyceride; Group 2 (n=6) received high-DHA eggs (2/d); Group 3 (n=6) received a high-DHA, low-EPA marine oil. Group 4 (n=6), received no supplementation. Milk DHA content of the 3 supplemented groups, respectively, increased by 100±123 (SD), 69±84 and 84±140 nmol/ml from 2 wks (when supplementation began) to 8 weeks postpartum (46-69%) while that of the control group decreased by 101±193 nmol/ml (51%). Concurrently, the mean percent of DHA in plasma phospholipid of infants of the 3 supplemented groups increased by 1.52±0.82%, 0.74±0.66% and 0.98±0.61%, respectively, (20-40% from baseline); the mean percent DHA in the control group increased by 0.33±0.72% (9% from baseline). These data illustrate that DHA supplementation of lactating women increases the DHA content of their milk and raises the DHA content of the recipient infant's plasma phospholipid. The desirability of maternal DHA supplementation and, if so, the desirable amount of supplementation remain to be determined.