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Maternal and Pediatric Nutrition Highlights Original Article

Is low docosahexaenoic acid associated with disturbed rhythms and neurodevelopment in offsprings of diabetic mothers?

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objective:

To evaluate the relation between docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status and neurodevelopment in the offsprings of gestational diabetic mothers (ODMs).

Subjects/Methods:

A prospective cohort study was performed. The offspring of 63 pregnant women (23 controls, 21 diet-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 19 insulin-treated GDM) were recruited. Maternal and venous cord plasma DHA percentages were analyzed. Skin temperature and activity in children were recorded for 72 h at 3 and 6 months of life. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development II (BSID II) at 6 and 12 months of age.

Results:

Cord plasma DHA percentage was significantly lower in the ODMs compared with that in the controls (Control 6.43 [5.04–7.82]a; GDM+diet 5.65 [4.44–6.86]ab; GDM+insulin 5.53 [4.45–6.61]b). Both mental (Control 102.71 [97.61–107.81]a; GDM+diet 100.39 [91.43–109.35]a; GDM+insulin 93.94 [88.31–99.57]b) and psychomotor (Control 91.52 [81.82–101.22]a; GDM+diet 81.67 [73.95–89.39]b; GDM+insulin 81.89 [71.96–91.85]b) scores evaluated by the BSID II were significantly lower at 6 months in ODMs, even after adjusting for confounding factors such as breastfeeding, maternal educational level and gender. Cord plasma DHA percentage correlated with the psychomotor score from BSID II (r=0.27; P=0.049) and with the intra-daily variability in activity (r=−0.24; P=0.043) at 6 months. Maternal DHA was correlated with several sleep rhythm maturation parameters at 6 months.

Conclusions:

Lower DHA levels in cord plasma of ODMs could affect their neurodevelopment. Maternal DHA status was also associated with higher values in the sleep rhythm maturation parameters of children.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Manuel Campos for providing the Circadianware software, as well as A Martínez-Nicolás, E Ortiz-Tudela, MA Rol and JA Sarabia for their help. This study was supported by the Hero Institute for Infant Nutrition, Hero Spain S.A, Murcia, Spain, the Instituto de Salud Carlos II–RETICEF (RD06/0013/0019) and the Ministry of Education and Science (BFU2010-21945-C02-01). Elvira Larqué is a recipient of the ESPGHAN Award for Young Investigators 2009.

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Zornoza-Moreno, M., Fuentes-Hernández, S., Carrión, V. et al. Is low docosahexaenoic acid associated with disturbed rhythms and neurodevelopment in offsprings of diabetic mothers?. Eur J Clin Nutr 68, 931–937 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.104

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