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Early infant adipose deposition is positively associated with the n-6 to n-3 fatty acid ratio in human milk independent of maternal BMI

International Journal of Obesity volume 41, pages 510–517 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Excessive infant weight gain in the first 6-month of life is a powerful predictor of childhood obesity and related health risks. In mice, omega-6 fatty acids (FAs) serve as potent ligands driving adipogenesis during early development. The ratio of omega-6 relative to omega-3 (n-6/n-3) FA in human milk (HM) has increased threefold over the last 30 years, but the impact of this shift on infant adipose development remains undetermined. This study investigated how maternal obesity and maternal dietary FA (as reflected in maternal red blood cells (RBCs) composition) influenced HM n-6 and n-3 FAs, and whether the HM n-6/n-3 ratio was associated with changes in infant adipose deposition between 2 weeks and 4 months postpartum.

Subjects/Methods:

Forty-eight infants from normal weight (NW), overweight (OW) and obese (OB) mothers were exclusively or predominantly breastfed over the first 4 months of lactation. Mid-feed HM and maternal RBC were collected at either transitional (2 weeks) or established (4 months) lactation, along with infant body composition assessed using air-displacement plethysmography. The FA composition of HM and maternal RBC was measured quantitatively by lipid mass spectrometry.

Results:

In transitional and established HM, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was lower (P=0.008; 0.005) and the arachidonic acid (AA)/DHA+eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratio was higher (P=0.05; 0.02) in the OB relative to the NW group. Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and AA/DHA+EPA ratios in transitional and established HM were moderately correlated (P=0.018; 0.001). Total infant fat mass was increased in the upper AA/DHA+EPA tertile of established HM relative to the lower tertile (P=0.019). The amount of changes in infant fat mass and percentage of body fat were predicted by AA/EPA+DHA ratios in established HM (P=0.038; 0.010).

Conclusions:

Perinatal infant exposures to a high AA/EPA+DHA ratio during the first 4 months of life, which is primarily reflective of maternal dietary FA, may significantly contribute to the way infants accumulate adipose.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express our sincere appreciation to all study participants, those who provided critical reading, and Rachel C Janssen with the manuscript preparation. MCR by 5 K12 HD057022 BIRCWH, MCR and DJL by P30-DK048520 Nutrition and Obesity Research Center Pilot and NICHD T32-HD007186. BEY by NICHD F32-HD0978068, T32-DK007658-21, Thrasher Research Fund Early Career Award, and Center for Women’s Health Research. NFK by K24-DK083772. DJL by F32-DK101179. PSM by P01-HD038129 and R01-HD075285. Lipid mass spectrometry by NIH/NCATS Colorado CTSA Grant UL1 TR001082. This study was also supported by NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences UL1 TR001082 and Colorado Clinical and Translational Science Institute grants UL1 RR025780.

Author information

Author notes

  1. D J Lemas

    Present address: 7Present address: Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.,

  2. M C Rudolph and B E Young: Co-first authors; these authors contributed equally to this work.

  3. N F Krebs and P S MacLean: Co-senior authors; these authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    M C Rudolph, T L Hernandez, L A Barbour & J E Friedman

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    B E Young, C E Palmer, N F Krebs & P S MacLean

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    D J Lemas & J E Friedman

  4. College of Nursing, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    T L Hernandez

  5. Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    L A Barbour

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Correspondence to M C Rudolph.

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Rudolph, M., Young, B., Lemas, D. et al. Early infant adipose deposition is positively associated with the n-6 to n-3 fatty acid ratio in human milk independent of maternal BMI. Int J Obes 41, 510–517 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.211

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