Abstract
ABSTRACT.: Very low birth weight infants demonstrate significant reductions in red blood cell membrane docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) following delivery unless fed human milk. The purpose of the present study was to determine if a dietary source of DHA (MaxEPA, R. P. Scherer Corporation, Troy, MI) could prevent the decline in red blood cell phospholipid DHA in very low birth weight infants whose enteral feeding consisted of a preterm formula without DHA. Longitudinal data were obtained on membrane phospholipid DHA in both un supplemented and MaxEPA-supplemented infants by a combination of thin layer and gas chromatography. These infants (n = 39) ranged in age from 10 to 53 days at enrollment (0 time). At enrollment, phospholipid DHA and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) were inversely correlated with age in days. During the study, mean red blood cell phospholipid DHA declined without supplementary DHA as determined by biweekly measurement, but infants supplemented with MaxEPA maintained the same weight percent of phospholipid (phosphatidylethanolanine, phosphatidylcholine, and phospharidylserine) DHA as at enrollment. The pattern of red blood cell phospholipid fatty acids in supplemented infants was similar to that reported for preterm infants fed human milk.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Carlson, S., Rhodes, P., Rao, V. et al. Effect of Fish Oil Supplementation on the n-3 Fatty Acid Content of Red Blood Cell Membranes in Preterm Infants. Pediatr Res 21, 507–510 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198705000-00017
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198705000-00017
This article is cited by
-
Early life stress exposure associated with reduced polyunsaturated-containing lipids in low-income children
Pediatric Research (2021)
-
Breast milk fat concentration and fatty acid pattern during the first six months in exclusively breastfeeding Greek women
European Journal of Nutrition (2013)
-
Models and methods for studying behavior in polyunsaturated fatty acid research
Lipids (2001)
-
Neonatal polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism
Lipids (1999)