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. 2006 Jan;2(1):29-39.
doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2006.00039.x.

The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes of lactating mothers and their infants

Marianne Hørby Jørgensen  1 , Pernille Kjaer Nielsen, Kim Fleischer Michaelsen, Pia Lund, Lotte Lauritzen
Affiliations

The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes of lactating mothers and their infants

Marianne Hørby Jørgensen et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2006 Jan.

Abstract

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in breastmilk, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are important for infant brain development. Accretion of DHA in the infant brain is dependent on DHA-status, intake and metabolism. The aim of this study was to describe changes in maternal and infant erythrocyte (RBC) DHA-status during the first four months of lactation. We examined 17 mothers and their term infants at 1, 2 and 4 months of age. Milk samples and RBC from the mothers and infants were obtained and analysed for fatty acid composition. Comparative analysis of the results showed that the content of DHA in maternal RBC-phosphatidylcholine (PE) decreased over the four month period and this was not accompanied by a decrease in DHA in infant RBC-PE (P = 0.005). The ratio of n-6 PUFA to n-3 PUFA increased over time in maternal RBC-PE, but not in infant RBC-PE (P < 0.001). The level of 22:5n-6 and the ratio of LCPUFA to precursor PUFAs in infant RBC was higher than in maternal RBC phospholipids. (P = and P < 0.001 respectively). We found a decrease in the level of LCPUFA in milk, specifically AA. However, we did not observe a significant decrease in milk DHA, which may have been due to two outliers. These results indicate better DHA-status and a higher n-3/n-6 PUFA in RBC of infants than in mothers. Whether these differences reflect preferential n-3 PUFA transfer via breastmilk or differences in PUFA-metabolism and utilization remains to be shown.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in the relative docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of erythrocytes (RBC) in mothers and infants during the first 4 months of lactation. A. DHA in maternal RBC phosphotidylethanolamine (PE). B. DHA in infant RBC‐PE. DHA is expresses as percentage of total fatty acids.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in the level of n‐6 to n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in erythrocytes (RBC) of mothers and infants during the first 4 months of lactation. A. The n‐6/n‐3 PUFA in maternal RBC phosphotidylethanolamin (PE). B. The n‐6/n‐3 PUFA in infant RBC‐PE.
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