375 Associations Between Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Plasma at Delivery and in Human Milk At the 6^Th Week of Lactation

Abstract

Background and aims: It is generally accepted that considerable of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supply with human milk (HM) originates from maternal stores, however, the exact relationship is not fully understood.

Method: We investigated with gas chromatography fatty acid composition of maternal and cord plasma phospholipids at delivery and of human milk at the 6^th week of lactation (n=61).

Results: We found no relationship between n-6 PUFAs either in maternal plasma (MP) or in cord plasma at birth and HM at the 6^th week of lactation. In contrast, there were significant positive association between n-3 PUFAs in HM at the 6^th week of lactation and n-3 PUFAs in the mothers at delivery (table). Similarly, we found significant positive correlations between cord plasma C20:5n-3 values at birth and the most important n-3 long chain PUFA metabolites, the C20:5n-3 (r=0.45, p< 0.001) and C22:6n-3 (r=0.30, p< 0.05) values in HM at the 6^th week of lactation.

Table

a=p< 0.05, b=p< 0.01, c=p< 0.001

Conclusion: Our findings that maternal n-3 PUFA status at delivery is significantly and positively associated to n-3 PUFA content of human milk at the 6^th week of lactation call further attention to optimal n-3 PUFA supply during pregnancy.

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