Maternal and neonatal red blood cell n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids inversely associate with infant whole-body fat mass assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Abstract

Research regarding polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status and body composition in neonates is limited. This study tested the relationship between newborn docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status and body composition. Healthy mothers and their term-born infants (n = 100) were studied within 1 month postpartum for anthropometry and whole-body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Maternal and infant red blood cell (RBC) membrane PUFA profiles were measured using gas chromatography (expressed as percentage of total fatty acids). Data were grouped according to infant RBC DHA quartiles and tested for differences in n-3 status and infant body composition using mixed-model ANOVA, Spearman correlations, and regression analyses (P < 0.05). Mothers were 32.2 ± 4.6 years (mean ± SD) of age, infants (54% males) were 0.68 ± 0.23 month of age, and 80% exclusively breastfed. Infant RBC DHA (ranged 3.96% to 7.75% of total fatty acids) inversely associated with infant fat mass (r = -0.22, P = 0.03). Infant and maternal RBC n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (r2 = 0.28, P = 0.043; r2 = 0.28, P = 0.041 respectively) were positively associated with fat mass. These results demonstrate that both maternal and infant long-chain PUFA status are associated with neonatal body composition. Novelty Our findings support an early window to further explore the relationship between infant n-3 PUFA status and body composition. Maternal and infant n-3 PUFA status is inversely related to neonatal whole-body fat mass. DHA appears to be the best candidate to test in the development of a lean body phenotype.