Erythrocyte Membrane Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Lipid Profile in Preterm Infants at Birth and Over the First Month of Life: A Comparative Study with Infants at Term

Abstract

An observational comparative study was designed to assess the fatty acids profile in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids of 30 preterm neonates (<32 weeks gestation) at birth and after 1 month of life versus a convenience sample of 10 infants born at term. The panel of fatty acids included the families and components of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as well as enzyme activity indexes and fatty acids ratios. At birth, the comparison of fatty acid families between preterm and term neonates showed a significantly higher content of SFAs and n-6 PUFAs, and a significantly lower content of MUFAs and n-3 PUFAs in the preterm group. After 30 days of life, significantly higher levels of n-6 PUFAs and significantly lower levels of n-3 PUFAs among preterm neonates persisted. At 30 days of birth, n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA and arachidonic acid (ARA) ARA/DHA remained significantly elevated, and DHA sufficiency index significantly decreased in the preterm group. The pattern of n-3 PUFA deficiency at birth and sustained for the first month of life would support the need of milk banking fortified with DHA and the use of DHA supplementation in breastfeeding mothers.

Associations of Dietary Intake and Nutrient Status with Micronutrient and Lipid Composition in Breast Milk of Donor Women

“…One of the most important findings of the present study was the correlation between donors' DHA intake and DHA plasma levels and the DHA content of the raw DHM. This result is important because, in a recent study [91], the DHA levels in DHM were lower than in the mother's own milk for very preterm infants, indicating that DHM provides an insufficient supply of DHA to these patients, who comprise an already DHA-deficient population [92]. Our results are consistent with those of the only study that has determined the DHA content of DHM in relation to the DHA intake of milk donors.…”

Evidence on docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid supplementation for preterm infants

“…The greatest changes occur in the first weeks after birth, and interestingly the relative levels of DHA and ARA also decrease when fish-oil contain lipids are administered [13 ▪ ,14]. Postnatal fatty acid trajectories differ significantly between relative or absolute units [13 ▪ ], but most studies have shown that preterm infants fed either breast milk or the common preterm formulas (containing 0.2–0.37% of total fatty acids as DHA) have blood levels of LC-PUFAs consistent with DHA deficiency [15].…”