TABLE 1.

Fatty acid content (wt%) of cord plasma glycerophospholipids¹

	Girls	Boys		Total
Fatty acid	(n = 190)	(n = 200)	P	(n = 390)
n–6
18:2 (LA)	8.62 ± 1.15	8.74 ± 1.17	0.297	8.68 ± 1.16
18:3 (GLA)	0.16 ± 0.03	0.16 ± 0.04	0.678	0.16 ± 0.04
20:2 (EDA)	0.49 ± 0.11	0.50 ± 0.13	0.262	0.49 ± 0.12
20:3 (DGLA)	5.63 ± 0.91	5.60 ± 0.80	0.727	5.62 ± 0.85
20:4 (ARA)	15.71 ± 1.56	15.44 ± 1.71	0.101	15.57 ± 1.65
22:4 (DTA)	0.65 ± 0.12	0.64 ± 0.11	0.576	0.64 ± 0.12
22:5 (DPA)	1.27 ± 0.34	1.29 ± 0.33	0.448	1.28 ± 0.33
20:3/18:2	0.66 ± 0.12	0.65 ± 0.13	0.445	0.66 ± 0.12
20:4/20:3	2.89 ± 0.71	2.84 ± 0.68	0.458	2.87 ± 0.69
20:4/18:2	1.86 ± 0.35	1.81 ± 0.38	0.144	1.83 ± 0.37
n–3
18:3 (ALA)	0.05 ± 0.03	0.06 ± 0.02	0.023*	0.05 ± 0.03
20:3 (ERA)	0.13 ± 0.02	0.14 ± 0.02	0.156	0.14 ± 0.02
20:5 (EPA)	0.12 ± 0.07	0.11 ± 0.05	0.162	0.11 ± 0.06
22:5 (DPA)	0.24 ± 0.10	0.22 ± 0.08	0.180	0.23 ± 0.09
22:6 (DHA)	5.17 ± 1.24	5.06 ± 1.02	0.342	5.12 ± 1.14
20:5/18:3	2.49 ± 1.51	2.05 ± 1.08	0.001*	2.26 ± 1.32

¹Values of the wt% are means ± SDs. Pvalue is from t test for the difference in measurements between girls and boys. *Significant differences, P < 0.05. Enzyme activity of D5D was determined by the ratio of ARA/DGLA. Enzyme activity of D6D was determined by the ratio of DGLA/LA. ALA, α-linolenic acid; ARA, arachidonic acid; DGLA, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid; DPA, docosapentaenoic acid; DTA, docosatetraenoic acid; EDA, eicosadienoic acid; ERA, eicosatrienoic acid; GLA, γ-linolenic acid; LA, linoleic acid.