Male and Female, Prenatal Brain Development Differs in Response to the Maternal Omega 3 and 6 Nutritional Status

Abstract

ObjectivesTo establish why prenatal brain growth in male fetuses responded to an omega-3-rich supplement but the females did not. MethodsIn a study of maternal lipid status during pregnancy in relation to regional fetal brain development a supplement containing long chain polyenoic fatty acids (300 mg of docosahexaenoic acid DHA, 42 mg eicosapentaenoic (EPA), 8.4 mg arachidonic and placebo 721 mg of oleic acid). Magnetic resonance images were obtained of newborn brains. Quantitative analysis of regions of the brain showed the supplement enhanced brain volume, with and without CSF, cortex, whole grey matter, and corpus callosum but only boys. ResultsWe wish to report correlations for arachidonic and stearic acids with several regions of brain growth in girls but not boys: for example, maternal RBC stearic acid at recruitment correlated with whole cortex (0.85 p < 0.0002), grey matter (0.847 p < 0.0002), corpus callosum (0.699 p < 0.008), whole brain (0.792 p < 0.001), brain plus CSF (0.733 p < 0.004, n = 13). Correlations with arachidonic acid at delivery reflected its index of arachidonic biomagnification and linoleic bioreduction. This measure of placental efficiency for arachidonic was for cortex (0.748 p < 0. 0034), deep grey matter (0.659 p < 0.014), whole grey matter (0.753 p < 0.003), hippocampus (0.611 p < 0.03), lentiform (0.774 p < 0.002), thalami (0.654 p < 0.015), corpus callosum (0.640 p < 0.018), brain (0.685 p < 0.0098), brain with CSF (0.774 p < 0.0019 n = 12). None were seen with the placebo boys (n = 22). Following embryogenesis, the placenta develops ahead of the demands of fetal growth. The fetal cardiovascular system is required to develop to support organogenesis and the brain growth thrust. The fetal immune system is required to help maintain pregnancy and for birth. All these systems are rich in arachidonic acid with little omega 3. The placenta biomagnifies arachidonic acid for the fetus: (typically maternal plasma lecithin 8.76% ± 1.49 CFD fetal cord 17.5% ± 3.22 p < 0.0001 (n = 44), whereas DHA in the same mothers was 4.13% ± 0.98 vs 5.79% ± 1.69 p < 0.0001. ConclusionsWe conclude that arachidonic acid is playing an as yet, unseen role, and female physiology is more focused on arachidonic acid to serve the basics of reproduction. Funding SourcesThe Mother and Child Foundation, Waterloo Foundation and the BORNE Charity.