Maternal and cord blood fatty acid patterns with excessive gestational weight gain and neonatal macrosomia

This study evaluated the association of maternal excessive gestational weight gain with saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in maternal and cord serum.

We included 77 pairs of women and their newborns and classified them into three groups as follows: mothers with normal gestational weight gain and their babies with normal birth weight in group I (30 pairs), mothers with excessive gestational weight gain and their babies with normal birth weight in group II (30 pairs), and mothers with excessive gestational weight gain and their macrosomic babies in group III (17 pairs). Serum fatty acid concentrations were determined through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

No remarkable difference in maternal dietary intake was observed among the three groups. C16:0, C18:0, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid concentrations were significantly higher in group III mothers than in group I mothers. Compared with group I neonates, total saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations were significantly lower but total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and docosahexaenoic acid concentrations were significantly higher in group II neonates (p<0.05). The n-6: n-3 ratio in maternal and cord serum was approximately 10:1 and 1.5:1, respectively.

Women with excessive gestational weight gain who deliver a macrocosmic neonate tend to have higher total saturated fatty acid concentrations but lower docosahexaenoic acid concentrations in their neonate cord serum. Fatty acid concentrations in maternal and cord serum are not associated with maternal dietary pattern.