Abstract
Evidence that the essential fatty acid (EFA) status during pregnancy and at birth
may not be optimal is mainly based on fatty acid profiles of maternal and neonatal
plasma phospholipids. However, erythrocyte phospholipids may be more reliable than
plasma phospholipids to reflect the EFA status of an individual. Therefore, the present
study compares the levels of EFA and of their derivatives (LCPUFA) in erythrocyte
and plasma phospholipids collected during pregnancy and at delivery of 184 women and
of their infants at birth.
In general, the relative concentrations of erythrocyte and plasma phospholipid fatty
acids (% of total fatty acids) were strongly correlated, but not at early pregnancy.
The overall changes in fatty acid concentrations during pregnancy were qualitatively comparable between
erythrocytes and plasma, although the comparability became less towards the end of
pregnancy. The changes in absolute amounts (mg/l) of fatty acids in erythrocyte and
plasma phospholipids also compare quite well till 32 weeks of gestation, but not thereafter.
Most maternal–neonatal differences in relative fatty acid concentrations are qualitatively comparable for erythrocyte and plasma
phospholipids. However, significant differences were observed for the absolute amounts
of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids. No matter these differences, plasma and
erythrocyte phospholipids seem equally suitable to reliably quantify the more functional
EFA and LCPUFA status based on fatty acid ratios.
Correlations between neonatal and maternal fatty acid values at delivery/birth are
highly significant in erythrocyte as well as plasma phospholipids. Neonatal erythrocyte
(but not plasma) values also correlated strongly with maternal values at early pregnancy.
Therefore, the neonatal EFA and LCPUFA status might be predicted on the basis of EFA
and LCPUFA concentrations of maternal erythrocyte phospholipids at early pregnancy.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 24, 2004
Accepted:
July 12,
2004
Received:
April 7,
2004
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
