ObjectiveTo analyze serum fatty acids concentrations during healthy pregnancy and evaluate whether socioeconomic, demographic, obstetric, nutritional, anthropometric and lifestyle factors are associated with their longitudinal changes.Study designA prospective cohort of 225 pregnant women was followed in the 5th–13th, 20th–26th and 30th–36th weeks of gestation. Serum samples were collected in each trimester of pregnancy and analyzed to determine the fatty acids composition using a high-throughput robotic direct methylation method coupled with fast gas-liquid chromatography. The independent variables comprised the subjects’ socioeconomic and demographic status, obstetric history, early pregnancy body mass index (BMI), dietary and lifestyle parameters. Analyses were performed using linear mixed-effects models.ResultsThe overall absolute concentrations of fatty acids increased from the 1st to the 2nd trimester and slightly increased from the 2nd to the 3rd trimester. Early pregnancy BMI, inter-partum interval and weekly fish intake were the factors associated with changes in eicosapentaenoic + docosahexaenoic acids (EPA+DHA) and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Early pregnancy BMI, age and monthly per-capita income were inversely associated with the changes in the n-6/n-3 ratio. Alcohol consumption was positively associated with the n-6/n-3 ratio.ConclusionEarly pregnancy BMI was positively associated with EPA+DHA and total n-3 PUFAs, while presenting a reduced weekly fish intake and a lower inter-partum interval were associated with lower levels of n-3 PUFAs. A lower per-capita family income and a drinking habit were factors that were positively associated with a higher n-6/n-3 ratio.

Objective To evaluate the rate of change in serum lipids and the factors associated with their variations, stratifying for prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) categories. Design Prospective cohort.Setting Public Health centre, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Population Two hundred and twenty-five healthy pregnant women recruited between 2009 and 2011.Methods Women were evaluated during the three trimesters of pregnancy (5th-13th, 20th-26th and 30th-36th gestational weeks). Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m²) was classified as normal weight (NW = 18.5-24.9), overweight (OW = 25.0-29.9) or obese (OB ≥ 30.0). The independent variables included maternal socioeconomic, demographic, biochemical and lifestyle factors. We performed linear mixed-effects models adjusted for gestational age and body weight, reporting coefficient (b) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).Main outcome measures Longitudinal total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c), lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL-c) and triglyceride (TG) measurements.Results OW and OB women presented higher mean TG, TC and LDL-c compared with their NW counterparts (P < 0.05). The mean HDL-c concentrations were higher in NW than in OB women (P = 0.03). OW and OB women presented lower serum TC (b OW = À0.014; 95% CI = À0.026 to À0.002; P = 0.022; b OB = À0.015; 95% CI À0.015 to 0.001; P = 0.066) and LDL-c (b OW = À0.012; 95% CI = À0.021 to À0.002; P = 0.017; b OB = À0.018; 95% CI = À0.031 to À0.005; P = 0.005) rates of change (mmol/l per gestational week) compared with the NW. Pre-gestational BMI was the main factor associated with the rate of changes in TC and LDL-c concentrations.Conclusion Pre-pregnancy BMI was the main factor associated with the rate of change in TC and LDL-c throughout pregnancy, and OW and OB women presented lower rates of change compared with NW controls.

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FFQ in early pregnancy may be used as a possible indicator of serum concentrations of fatty acids. Higher correlations were observed among underweight/normal weight women.

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