No abstract

Background: Pregnant women usually meet their increased energy needs but do not always meet their increased micronutrient requirements. The supply of both folic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been related to positive pregnancy and infant outcomes. Objective: We aimed to assess whether fish-oil (FO) supplementation with or without folate from gestation week 22 to birth improves maternal and fetal nҀ3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (nҀ3 LC-PUFA) status. Design: We conducted a multicenter (Germany, Hungary, and Spain), randomized, double-blind, 2 ҂ 2 factorial, placebo-controlled trial. From gestation week 22 until delivery, 311 pregnant women received daily a preparation with FO [0.5 g DHA and 0.15 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)], 400 g methyltetrahydrofolic acid (MTHF), FO with MTHF, or placebo. Outcome measures included maternal and cord plasma DHA and EPA contents at gestation weeks 20 and 30 and at delivery, indicators of pregnancy outcome, and fetal development. Results: FO significantly (P 0.001) increased maternal DHA and EPA (% by wt), as shown by 3-factor repeated-measures ANOVA (ie, MTHF, FO, and time) with adjustment for maternal baseline DHA and EPA. In addition, FO significantly (P 0.001) increased cord blood DHA (% by wt; 2-factor ANOVA). MTHF was significantly (P ҃ 0.046) associated with increased maternal DHA (% by wt). There was no FO ҂ MTHF interaction for the time course of DHA or EPA (P ҃ 0.927 and 0.893). Pregnancy outcomes and fetal development did not differ significantly among the intervention groups. Conclusions: FO supplementation from gestation week 22 until delivery improves fetal nҀ3 LC-PUFA status and attenuates depletion of maternal stores. MTHF may further enhance maternal nҀ3 LC-PUFA proportions.Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:1392-400.

Background: Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and long-chain fructooligosaccharides (lcFOS) proliferate bifidobacteria in infant gut microbiota. However, it is not known how GOS and FOS influence the microbiota of pregnant women and whether a potential prebiotic effect is transferred to the offspring. Objectives: We aimed to test how supplementation with GOS and lcFOS (GOS/lcFOS) in the last trimester of pregnancy affects maternal and neonatal gut microbiota. Variables of fetal immunity were assessed as a secondary outcome. Design: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, 48 pregnant women were supplemented 3 times/d with 3 g GOS/lcFOS (at a ratio of 9:1) or maltodextrin (placebo) from week 25 of gestation until delivery. Percentages of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli within total bacterial counts were detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in maternal and neonatal (days 5, 20, and Ȃ182) stool samples. Variables of fetal immunity were assessed in cord blood by using flow cytometry and cytokine multiplex-array analysis. Results: The proportions of bifidobacteria in the maternal gut were significantly higher in the supplemented group than in the placebo group (21.0% and 12.4%, respectively; P ҃ 0.026); the proportion of lactobacilli did not differ between the groups. In neonates, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli percentages, diversity and similarity indexes, and fetal immune parameters did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Mother-neonate similarity indexes of bifidobacteria decreased over time. Conclusions: GOS/lcFOS supplementation has a bifidogenic effect on maternal gut microbiota that is not transferred to neonates. The increased maternal bifidobacteria did not affect fetal immunity as measured by a comprehensive examination of cord blood immunity variables.