TABLE 2.
Adjusted associations of maternal and child fatty acid status with child adiposity at age 3 y in 1250 mother-child pairs in Project Viva1
| Fatty acid measure | Values | Obesity (BMI ≥95th vs <85th percentiles)2 | BMI z score3 | SS + TR (mm)3 |
| mm | ||||
| Maternal dietary intake during midpregnancy (n = 1120) | ||||
| Total n−3 fatty acids (g/d) | 1.16 ± 0.424 | 0.77 (0.60, 0.99) | −0.03 (−0.09, 0.03) | −0.34 (−0.59,-0.08) |
| DHA + EPA (g/d) | 0.15 ± 0.14 | 0.68 (0.50, 0.92) | −0.04 (−0.10, 0.03) | −0.31 (−0.58,-0.04) |
| ALA (g/d) | 0.99 ± 0.40 | 0.85 (0.67, 1.08) | −0.01 (−0.08, 0.05) | −0.26 (−0.51, 0.00) |
| Total n−6 fatty acids (g/d) | 12.27 ± 3.18 | 0.88 (0.70, 1.10) | −0.01 (−0.07, 0.05) | −0.20 (−0.45, 0.05) |
| AA (g/d) | 0.09 ± 0.03 | 0.82 (0.64, 1.06) | −0.02 (−0.08, 0.05) | −0.23 (−0.50, 0.04) |
| LA (g/d) | 12.16 ± 3.17 | 0.88 (0.70, 1.10) | −0.01 (−0.07, 0.05) | −0.20 (−0.45, 0.05) |
| n−6:n−3 ratio | 11.13 ± 2.53 | 1.19 (0.94, 1.50) | 0.04 (−0.02, 0.10) | 0.32 (0.07, 0.58) |
| AA:DHA + EPA ratio | 10.32 ± 52.91 | 1.19 (1.00, 1.42) | 0.03 (−0.03, 0.10) | 0.01 (−0.25, 0.26) |
| LA:ALA ratio | 13.07 ± 3.04 | 1.02 (0.79, 1.31) | 0.02 (−0.05, 0.08) | 0.20 (−0.05, 0.46) |
| DHA intake, ≥200 vs <200 mg/d (%) | 12.1 | 0.82 (0.37, 1.84) | −0.02 (−0.21, 0.17) | −0.37 (−1.15, 0.42) |
| Fish intake (effect per serving/wk) | 1.58 ± 1.38 | 0.77 (0.62, 0.95) | −0.03 (−0.09, 0.03) | −0.16 (−0.34, 0.03) |
| Fish intake, >2 vs ≤2 servings/wk (%) | 22.3 | 0.53 (0.27, 1.03) | −0.07 (−0.22, 0.08) | −0.21 (−0.81, 0.40) |
| Relative concentration of midpregnancy maternal plasma lipids (n = 227) | ||||
| Total n−3 fatty acids (% of total fatty acids) | 2.8 ± 0.7 | 0.52 (0.16, 1.75) | −0.01 (−0.16, 0.15) | −0.50 (−1.21, 0.22) |
| DHA + EPA (% of total fatty acids) | 1.9 ± 0.6 | 0.68 (0.22, 2.16) | 0.01 (−0.14, 0.17) | −0.39 (−1.11, 0.33) |
| ALA (% of total fatty acids) | 0.61 ± 0.19 | 0.51 (0.18, 1.44) | −0.04 (−0.19, 0.10) | −0.44 (−1.12, 0.24) |
| Total n−6 fatty acids (% of total fatty acids) | 37.3 ± 3.8 | 1.89 (0.76, 4.73) | 0.16 (0.02, 0.30) | 0.35 (−0.29, 0.99) |
| AA (% of total fatty acids) | 6.2 ± 1.2 | 1.49 (0.59, 3.74) | 0.12 (−0.03, 0.27) | 0.64 (−0.06, 1.33) |
| LA (% of total fatty acids) | 28.5 ± 3.7 | 1.80 (0.72, 4.48) | 0.14 (0.00, 0.28) | 0.16 (−0.49, 0.81) |
| n−6:n−3 ratio | 14.1 ± 3.3 | 2.15 (0.90, 5.15) | 0.07 (−0.08, 0.22) | 0.63 (−0.04, 1.30) |
| AA:DHA + EPA ratio | 3.4 ± 0.9 | 2.16 (0.77, 6.02) | 0.07 (−0.08, 0.22) | 0.84 (0.15, 1.54) |
| LA:ALA ratio | 51.2 ± 18.8 | 2.27 (0.72, 7.16) | 0.10 (−0.05, 0.24) | 0.27 (−0.39, 0.92) |
| Maternal dietary intake during the month before delivery (n = 1178) | ||||
| DHA + EPA (g/d) | 0.11 ± 0.11 | 0.84 (0.62, 1.15) | −0.04 (−0.10, 0.02) | −0.20 (−0.48, 0.07) |
| DHA intake, ≥200 vs <200 mg/d (%) | 2.7 | 0.95 (0.20, 4.52) | −0.11 (−0.49, 0.28) | −0.76 (−2.41, 0.90) |
| Fish intake, >2 vs ≤2 servings/wk (%) | 21.0 | 0.60 (0.32, 1.11) | −0.07 (−0.22, 0.08) | −0.25 (−0.88, 0.38) |
| Relative concentration of umbilical cord plasma lipids (n = 3025) | ||||
| Total n−3 fatty acids (% of total fatty acids) | 5.1 ± 1.4 | 0.07 (0.01, 0.48) | −0.14 (−0.28, 0.01) | −0.92 (−1.65,-0.20) |
| DHA + EPA (% of total fatty acids) | 4.6 ± 1.2 | 0.09 (0.02, 0.52) | −0.14 (−0.29, 0.01) | −0.91 (−1.63,-0.20) |
| ALA (% of total fatty acids) | 0.17 ± 0.07 | 0.46 (0.19, 1.13) | −0.05 (−0.18, 0.09) | −0.46 (−1.12, 0.21) |
| Total n−6 fatty acids (% of total fatty acids) | 31.4 ± 2.7 | 0.68 (0.39, 1.18) | −0.09 (−0.22, 0.04) | −0.23 (−0.86, 0.40) |
| AA (% of total fatty acids) | 15.5 ± 2.1 | 0.64 (0.35, 1.17) | −0.12 (−0.25, 0.02) | −0.23 (−0.90, 0.44) |
| LA (% of total fatty acids) | 11.1 ± 1.6 | 0.78 (0.41, 1.50) | −0.02 (−0.15, 0.12) | −0.06 (−0.72, 0.60) |
| n−6:n−3 ratio | 6.5 ± 1.6 | 3.81 (1.40,10.36) | 0.09 (−0.05, 0.23) | 0.76 (0.09, 1.42) |
| AA:DHA + EPA ratio | 3.6 ± 0.9 | 2.63 (1.09, 6.31) | 0.05 (−0.10, 0.19) | 0.69 (0.02, 1.36) |
| LA:ALA ratio | 74.2 ± 32.8 | 1.80 (1.03, 3.15) | 0.00 (−0.13, 0.13) | 0.21 (−0.43, 0.86) |
| Child diet, age 3 y (n = 1149) | ||||
| Fish intake (effect per serving/wk) | 0.86 ± 1.19 | 1.00 (0.81, 1.22) | 0.03 (−0.03, 0.10) | 0.07 (−0.14, 0.29) |
| Fish intake, >2 vs ≤2 servings/wk (%) | 9.2 | 1.01 (0.44, 2.31) | 0.09 (−0.12, 0.30) | 0.14 (−0.73, 1.02) |
SS + TR, sum of subscapular and triceps skinfold thicknesses; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid; ALA, α-linolenic acid; AA, arachidonic acid; LA, linoleic acid. The effect estimate represents the effect per SD increase of polyunsaturated fatty acid unless otherwise noted. Values were adjusted for maternal race-ethnicity, smoking, parity, adequacy of gestational weight gain, prepregnancy BMI, height, education, age, marital status, and breastfeeding duration and child length of gestation, sex, and age at 3-y assessment by using multivariable linear or logistic regression analysis.
Values are odds ratios; 95% CIs in parentheses.
Values are β coefficients; 95% CIs in parentheses.
Mean ± SD (all such values).
n = 246 for total n−3, EPA, DHA + EPA, n−6:n−3 ratio, and AA:DHA + EPA ratio from cord blood plasma.