[Relation between levels of essential fatty acids in maternal milk, in maternal blood and in the blood of neonates 1 and 5 days after birth].

BACKGROUND

Linolenic, linoleic, and arachidonic acids as well as other polyunsaturated fatty acids are necessary for health as the precursors of eicosanoids and for the structure of developing membranes.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was the determination of the level of 11 individual free fatty acids (FFA) in the milk and in the blood of mothers and newborns during the perinatal period.

METHODS

In 21 women the FFA was determined in their colostrum as well as in the venous blood at the delivery in the hospital, and then again 5 days later at leaving the hospital. Simultaneously, the blood of newborns was collected as umbilical samples at birth and as venous blood on the 5th day. The study was performed on health term infants and mothers with normal gestational age.

RESULTS

The results show a marked increase in total milk FFA as well as in most, but not all, individual FFAs during the followed period of the first 5 days. The values in the milk were always remarkably higher (the increase more than 2 orders) than in the blood. We have found no significant statistical correlation between values in the blood and those in the milk. The concentrations of all very important omega-3 FFAs (which are present in fish oil and in foods of marine fish origin) were always lower in all blood and milk samples in comparison with the levels of omega-6 FFAs (which are prevailing in lipids of our usual nutrition as are margarines and most of commercial oils).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings seem to be very important for preventive medicine and need to study further the relationship of low intake of O3FA to increased incidence of various allergies and other pathological syndromes in children. The very large range of a variance in the values of FFAs in the milk suggests the need of more profound study of the role of the food composition probably during the whole period of pregnancy, mainly as to the type of lipid composition. (Tab. 1, Fig. 6, Ref. 24.)