Table 1. Characteristics of the mothers.
| Maternal Characteristic | |
|---|---|
| n | 293 |
| Age (years), mean±SD | 30.6 ± 3.6 |
| Height (cm), mean±SD | 164.3 ± 6.6 |
| Pre-pregnancy body mass index (kg/m2), median (IQR) | 24.1 (22.3 – 27.4) |
| Smoking in late pregnancy, % (n) | 13.4 (39) |
| Duration of breastfeeding, % (n) | |
| Never tried | 13.6 (39) |
| <1 month | 19.4 (56) |
| 1 to 3 months | 18.8 (54) |
| 4 to 6 months | 18.4 (53) |
| 7 to 11 months | 17.7 (51) |
| 12 or more months | 12.2 (35) |
| Plasma PC fatty acid concentration (μg/ml), median (IQR) | |
| Total n-3 PUFA | 70.0 (51.6-92.8) |
| EPA | 5.1 (3.2-7.7) |
| DHA | 51.8 (38.8-70.5) |
| Total n-6 PUFA | 492.9 (372.2-615.8) |
| LA | 324.5 (240.3-400.1) |
| AA | 103.2 (79.7-132.3) |
| Total n-3:Total n-6 ratio | 0.14 (0.12-0.17) |
| Maternal dietary intake at 34 weeks gestation (g/day), mean±SD | |
| Protein | 87.2 ± 22.8 |
| Carbohydrate | 312.6 ± 100.8 |
| Fat | 93.0 ± 28.3 |
PC = phosphatidylcholine; PUFA = long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid; EPA = eicosapentanoic acid; DHA = docosahexaenoic acid; LA = linoleic acid; AA = arachidonic acid