Abstract
Background
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential for offspring development, but it
is less clear whether pregnancy PUFA status affects growth and adiposity.
Methods
In 985 mother-offspring pairs from the ongoing Singaporean GUSTO cohort, we analyzed
the associations between offspring growth and adiposity outcomes until age 5 years
and five PUFAs of interest, measured in maternal plasma at 26–28 weeks’ gestation:
linoleic acid (LA), arachidonic acid, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). We measured fetal growth by ultrasound (n=924), neonatal
body composition (air displacement plethysmography (n=252 at birth, and n=317 at age
10 days), and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (n=317)), postnatal growth (n=979)
and skinfold thicknesses (n=981). Results were presented as regression coefficients
for a 5% increase in PUFA levels.
Results
LA levels were positively associated with birthweight (β (95% CI): 0.04 (0.01, 0.08)
kg), body mass index (0.13 (0.02, 0.25) kg/m2), head circumference (0.11 (0.03, 0.19) cm), and neonatal abdominal adipose tissue
volume (4.6 (1.3, 7.8) mL for superficial subcutanous tissue, and 1.2 (0.1, 2.4) mL
for internal tissue), but not with later outcomes. DHA levels, although not associated
with birth outcomes, were related to higher postnatal length/height: 0.63 (0.09, 1.16)
cm at 12 months and 1.29 (0.34, 2.24) cm at 5 years.
Conclusions
LA was positively associated with neonatal body size, and DHA with child height. Maternal
PUFA status during pregnancy may influence fetal and child growth and adiposity.
Abbreviations:
AA (arachidonic acid), AC (abdominal circumference), ALA (α-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), FADS (fatty acid desaturase), GEE (generalised estimating equation), GUSTO (growing up in Singapore towards healthy outcomes), HC (head circumference), LA (linoleic acid), LCPUFA (long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids), PC (phosphatidylcholine), PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids), RCT (randomized controlled trial)Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 05, 2017
Accepted:
May 30,
2017
Received in revised form:
May 24,
2017
Received:
January 19,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
