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Maternal n-6 and n-3 fatty acid status during pregnancy is related to infant heart rate and heart rate variability:

M L Drewery1, A V Gaitán1, S B Spedale2

  • 1Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States.

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids
|October 17, 2017
PubMed

Early life heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) reflect autonomic system maturation. Intervention with n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) during pregnancy favorably affects fetal HR and HRV, complementing previous observations for n-3 LCPUFA intervention during infancy. The relationship between maternal fatty acid status during pregnancy and infant HR/HRV has not previously been assessed. The aim of this study was to explore associations between maternal n-6 and n-3 fatty acid status during pregnancy and infant HR and HRV at 2 weeks, 4 months, and 6 months of age using linear regression models. Maternal n-3 fatty acids were inversely related to infant HR and positively related to HRV. Conversely, maternal n-6 fatty acids were positively related to infant HR and inversely related to HRV. These data build on existing literature evidencing a role for n-3 fatty acids in accelerating autonomic development and link n-6 fatty acids to HR/HRV.

Keywords:
Arachidonic acidAutonomic nervous systemDocosahexaenoic acidHeart rateHeart rate variabilityn-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

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