Abstract
There is growing evidence that omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty-acids (PUFAs) are important for the brain development in childhood and are necessary for an optimal health in adults. However, there have been no studies examining how the n-3 PUFA composition of human milk influences infant behavior or temperament. To fill this knowledge gap, 52 breastfeeding mothers provided milk samples at 3 months postpartum and completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ-R), a widely used parent-report measure of infant temperament. Milk was assessed for n-3 PUFAs and omega-6 (n-6) PUFAs using gas-liquid chromatography. The total fat and the ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids in milk were also examined. Linear regression models revealed that infants whose mothers’ milk was richer in n-3 PUFAs had lower scores on the negative affectivity domain of the IBQ-R, a component of temperament associated with a risk for internalizing disorders later in life. These associations remained statistically significant after considering covariates, including maternal age, marital status, and infant birth weight. The n-6 PUFAs, n-6/n-3 ratio, and total fat of milk were not associated with infant temperament. These results suggest that mothers may have the ability to shape the behavior of their offspring by adjusting the n-3 PUFA composition of their milk.
Highlights
Life nutrition plays a foundational role in brain development [1,2,3]
Several milk samples were more than three standard deviations higher than the mean in terms of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty-acids (PUFAs) levels (n = 1), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels (n = 2), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) levels (n = 1), and Eicosatrienoic acid (ETE) levels (n = 1) and were winsorized to within 2 standard deviations of the mean before the statistical analysis
The present study found evidence to support a link between the n-3 PUFA composition of human milk and infant temperament
Summary
Life nutrition plays a foundational role in brain development [1,2,3]. In recent decades, research has shown that exposure to human milk and the variation in its composition contribute meaningfully to children’s behavior, cognition, and disease risk [4,5,6]. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that human milk be the sole source of infant nutrition for the first 6 months of life [7], a sensitive period characterized by rapid brain development [2,3]. One key nutritional factor that is present in human milk and that is necessary for an optimal brain development during this period are omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty-acids (PUFAs) [8,9]. Among the 11 n-3 PUFAs, the three most important and prevalent in human milk are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) [5,10]. ALA is the most common n-3 PUFA in human milk [10] (and the adult diet) and can be converted into EPA and DHA [11]. DHA is the most abundant n-3 PUFA in the central nervous system in mammals and forms the structural matrix of grey matter and retinal membranes [9,12]
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