Maternal plasma fatty acid patterns in mid-pregnancy and offspring epigenetic gestational age at birth
Giulietta S Monasso1,2, Trudy Voortman3, Janine F Felix1,2
1The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Insights
Maternal fatty acid patterns during pregnancy may influence child development. Higher maternal n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were linked to accelerated epigenetic aging in newborns, but findings require confirmation.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal epidemiology
- Epigenetics
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Maternal fatty acid intake during pregnancy is linked to child health outcomes.
- Epigenetic gestational age acceleration (discrepancy between epigenetic and chronological age) may mediate these associations.
- Analyzing fatty acid patterns, not individual fatty acids, may reveal synergistic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal mid-pregnancy plasma fatty acid patterns and offspring epigenetic gestational age acceleration.
- To explore whether specific fatty acid patterns are linked to accelerated epigenetic aging in newborns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 1226 mother-newborn pairs in the population-based Generation R Study.
- Identified three maternal plasma fatty acid patterns (high n-6 PUFA, MUFA/SFA, high n-3 PUFA) using principal component analysis.
- Estimated offspring epigenetic gestational age acceleration from cord blood DNA methylation using Bohlin and Knight methods.
Main Results:
- No significant associations were found between the three main fatty acid patterns and epigenetic gestational age acceleration in primary analyses.
- Sensitivity analyses in a subgroup with accurate dating showed a potential association between higher maternal n-3 PUFA pattern and accelerated epigenetic aging (0.20 weeks), but only with the Knight method.
- Findings were dependent on the epigenetic age estimation method and accuracy of pregnancy dating.
Conclusions:
- Some evidence suggests a maternal plasma fatty acid pattern rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be associated with accelerated epigenetic gestational aging.
- These preliminary findings require further investigation and confirmation due to method- and dating-dependency.
- The study highlights the complexity of fatty acid patterns and epigenetic aging in perinatal health.
Abstract:
Maternal pregnancy fatty acid status is associated with child health. Epigenetic gestational age acceleration, referring to a discrepancy between chronological and epigenetic gestational age, may underlie these associations. Previous research suggests that analysing fatty acid patterns rather than individual fatty acids may overcome the caveat of missing synergistic or additive effects. Among 1226 mother-newborn pairs from the population-based Generation R Study, we examined the associations of three maternal plasma mid-pregnancy fatty acid patterns, identified by principal component analysis, with offspring epigenetic gestational age acceleration. This was estimated from cord blood DNA methylation data using the method developed by Bohlin. As a secondary analysis, we used the method developed by Knight to estimate epigenetic gestational age. The identified 'high n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid,' 'monounsaturated and saturated fatty acid' and 'high n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid' patterns were not associated with epigenetic gestational age acceleration in the main analyses. In sensitivity analyses restricted to 337 children born to mothers with more accurate pregnancy dating based on a regular menstrual cycle, a one standard-deviation-score higher maternal plasma 'high n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid' pattern was associated with an epigenetic gestational age acceleration of 0.20 weeks (95% CI 0.06, 0.33), but only when using the Knight method. Thus, we found some evidence that a maternal plasma fatty acid pattern characterized by higher concentrations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be associated with accelerated epigenetic gestational ageing. These findings depended on the method used and the accuracy of pregnancy dating and therefore need confirmation.
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