Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human milk and brain growth during early infancy

Abstract

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for growth and development, and their crucial role in the development of the central nervous system and in retinal function has been the subject of many studies. As the balance between n-6 and n-3 fatty acids has to be optimal, their concentrations in the milk given to infants who are exclusively breastfed is of major importance. In this study, the composition of fatty acids in mothers' milk and the growth rate of the infant brain were analysed. Nineteen mother-term infant pairs from Stockholm, Sweden, were studied from birth to 1 mo and 3 mo of age, during which time the infants were breastfed exclusively. The dietary intake of the mothers was calculated and found to concur with the recommended daily dietary allowances of Swedish lactating women as regards energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates. The amounts of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in the diet were similar to those reported for European and North American women. The ratio between arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the milk from Swedish mothers is approximately the same as in the brain of infants, and was found to be positively correlated with the rate of gain of the occipito-frontal head circumference and of the calculated brain weight at 1 mo (p < 0.01) and 3 mo (p < 0.01) of age, respectively. However, further studies are needed to establish the exact requirements of AA and DHA for optimal growth and development during early infancy in exclusively breastfed infants.

Influência da ingestão de sardinha nos níveis de ácidos graxos poliinsaturados da série ômega3 no leite materno

“…The infants presented a mean birth weight of 3,286 g (±456), mean stature at birth of 49.5 cm (±2. 2) and their average age was 22.7 days postpartum on the first day of the study(D0).…”

“…the processes by which arachidonic and docosahexaenóico acids are formed from linoleic and linolenic acids, respectively. 1,2,4 Studies comparing breastfed and formula-fed children demonstrated that the first group had both higher concentrations of long-chain PFA and better visual acuity. 6 Preterm children (less than 32 weeks gestation) had lower concentrations of DHA in the brain, liver and blood cells and also inferior visual acuity, when compared with fullterm children.…”

“…[2][3][4] Omega-3 long-chain fatty acids can be found in the brain and retina and are active in growth processes, contributing to myelination and visual function development, to psychomotor development and to several behavior-related features of neural function. [1][2][3][4][5] After birth these essential fatty acids are transferred to infants in sufficient quantities via the breastmilk of mothers whose nutritional status is adequate. In developing countries, where health and nutrition conditions can be adverse, it is possible for nutritional deficiencies to result in compromise to the processes of elongation and desaturation, i.e.…”

Eels, Beavers, and Horses: Human Niche Construction in the European Late Upper Palaeolithic

“…Secondly the diet, and in particular the high consumption of eels, eggs and fish would be unusually high in long-chain polyunsaturate acids (LCPs, including omega-3 and omega-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These nutrients are all known to promote eye and brain development in babies and social learning (Xiang et al 2000;Brenna & Carlson 2014;Birch et al 2007;Kuratko et al 2013). In terms of culture and to paraphrase Lévi-Strauss (1964), food and cooking is a language -and an essential part of group identity and culture.…”

“…It is also high in several essential minor nutrients including potassium, phosphorous, iron, zinc and sodium, taurine and vitamins A, B6 and B12. Eels are also high in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which has recently been strongly linked to human brain development both directly and indirectly through mother's milk (Xiang et al 2000;Brenna and Carlson 2014). The high nutritional value of eel was utilized in the Medieval and post-Medieval period in Europe when it became a major food source promoted by the Church and later a major source of nutrition for urban settlements (Bunting & Little 2005).…”