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Association between Maternal and Foetal Erythrocyte Fatty Acid Profiles and Birth Weight

Giulia Cinelli1, Marta Fabrizi2, Lucilla Ravà3

  • 1Research Unit for Multifactorial Diseases and Complex Phenotypes, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico), viale di San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy. giuliacinelli@nutrizionista.email.

Nutrients
|March 24, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Maternal and fetal fatty acid profiles significantly impact birth weight. Higher polyunsaturated and omega-6 fatty acids are linked to increased birth weight, while saturated fats may increase the risk of small for gestational age infants.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Biochemistry
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Fetal development and offspring health are critically dependent on maternal nutrition.
  • Maternal dietary fatty acid (FA) intake influences fetal growth and birth weight (BW).
  • Understanding lipid profiles in mothers and fetuses is key to identifying growth determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal/fetal lipid profiles and birth weight.
  • To compare lipid profiles between small, appropriate, and large for gestational age (SGA, AGA, LGA) infants.
  • To elucidate the role of specific fatty acids in fetal growth regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes from 607 mother-infant pairs using gas chromatography.
  • Quantile regression analysis to assess associations between lipid profiles and birth weight.
  • Comparative analysis of FA levels across SGA, AGA, and LGA infant groups.

Main Results:

  • Maternal linoleic acid (LA), arachidonic acid (AA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and polyunsaturated FAs showed a positive association with birth weight.
  • Elevated maternal and fetal myristic and pentadecanoic acids, and maternal erucic acid were associated with SGA infants.
  • Maternal LA, AA, and omega-6 FAs were higher in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal and fetal polyunsaturated and omega-6 fatty acid levels positively correlate with birth weight.
  • A lipid profile high in saturated fatty acids and erucic acid may increase the risk of SGA.
  • Specific fatty acid profiles are critical determinants of fetal growth and gestational age classification.

Keywords:
birth weightfatty acidssaturated fatty acidssmall for gestational age

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