Maternal and Cord Blood Saturated Fatty Acid Level and Infant Adiposity

Abstract

This study aimed to assess SFAs profiles in the maternal and cord blood, and the relationship of both SFAs levels with infant adiposity. As many as 99 mothers with singleton pregnancy and pre-pregnancy BMI ≥18.5 agreed to join the research and completed the data collection process. Maternal and cord blood erythrocyte SFAs profile was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionized Detector. Infant birth weight was measured at birth, while infant skinfolds were at 5-7 days postpartum. We used Aris et al. (2013) equation to assess the infant fat mass. The average maternal age was 29.62±5.84 years old, while the pre-pregnancy BMI was 22.87±3.90 kg/m 2 . Infant birth weight was 3168.83±341.64 g, and fat mass was 9.39±3.52 %. Maternal total SFAs and palmitic acid (C16:0) concentration were higher than cord blood, while lignoceric acid (C24:0) was lower (p<0.05). Increased maternal caproic (C6:0), capric (C10:0), and lauric acids (C12:0) were associated with higher infant adiposity (p<0.05). Total SFAs, palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), and behenic acids (C22:0) in cord blood were negatively associated with infant adiposity (p<0.05). Elevated lauric (C12:0) and myristic (C14:0) acids in cord blood were associated with greater adiposity. In conclusion, we found a different SFAs profile between maternal blood during the third trimester of pregnancy and cord blood. Increased maternal caproic, capric, and lauric acids as well as cord blood's lauric and palmitic acids contribute to greater infant adiposity.

Maternal palmitic acid intake, palmitic acid levels in maternal blood and cord blood with infant body composition

“…Another study found that an increase in total saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and behenic acid in cord blood was associated with lower infant adiposity. In contrast, increased levels of maternal caproic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid are associated with higher infant adiposity (Yustiyani et al, 2021). Yammine et al (2018) reported that palmitoleic acid and palmitic acid, as biomarkers of endogenous lipogenesis, were positively correlated with body mass index, especially in women.…”

“…Therefore, nutritional interventions during pregnancy have the potential to reduce neonatal adiposity without causing undesirable effects on the neonatal body size or muscle mass. Yustiyani et al (2021) showed that there is a correlation between saturated fatty acid 136 Maternal palmitic acid intake, palmitic acid levels … Aronasty et al levels in cord blood and infant adiposity. The lauric acid level in the cord blood was positively correlated with the triceps skinfold.…”

“…The fetus responds to this signal by reducing body size and changing metabolism for survival after birth. In addition, increases in lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, and total saturated fatty acids occurred in obese mothers (Yustiyani et al, 2021) Monitoring the nutritional status of pregnant women is carried out by monitoring weight gain during pregnancy (GWG) and measuring the upper arm circumference (MUAC). Almost all pregnant women have a normal upper arm circumference (≥ 23,5 cm), namely 92,3%.…”

“…Other studies have also shown a positive relationship between neonatal length, energy intake, and protein intake (Gala et al, 2016). Deficit protein intake is also influenced by the belief that mothers who have just given birth should not consume "fishy" food so that birth scars heal more quickly (Yustiyani et al, 2021).…”