Effect of increasing breast milk docosahexaenoic acid on plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acids and neural indices of exclusively breast fed infants

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the effect of increasing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22: 6 n-3) in breast milk on infant fatty acid profiles. A secondary aim was to examine aspects of neural development. Design and Setting Double blind, placebo controlled study of infants recruited from postnatal wards at Flinders Medical Centre. Subjects: Fifty-two healthy term infants who were breast fed for at least 12 weeks and were from middle class families. Intervention: Breast milk with DHA concentrations that ranged from 0.1–1.7% of total fatty acids. This was achieved by supplementation of the maternal diet for the first 12 weeks post partum. Results: Breast milk DHA was related to infant plasma (r=0.89, Pr=0.88, Pr²=0.18, Pr²=0.22, P<0.005). Conclusions: Increasing breast milk DHA levels caused a dose dependent saturable increase in infant plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid DHA. There were no long-term effects of infant DHA status on indices of neurodevelopment. Sponsorship: Financial support was provided by Martek Biosciences, MD, USA and the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia.