DOCOSAHEXAENOIC AND ARACHIDONIC-ACID CONTENT OF SERUM AND RED-BLOOD-CELL MEMBRANE PHOSPHOLIPIDS OF PRETERM INFANTS FED BREAST-MILK, STANDARD FORMULA OR FORMULA SUPPLEMENTED WITH N-3 AND N-6 LONG-CHAIN POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS

The contents of docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) of pla sma and red blood cell membrane phospholipids were studied in 41 very low birth weight infants fed either breast milk (n = 18), a standard f ormula without long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with 20 or 22 ca rbon atoms (LCP) but with alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid (n = 11) or a formula additionally supplemented with n-3 and n-6 LCP in rel ations typical for human milk (n = 12) after 2, 6, and 10 weeks of fee ding. The content of DHA and AA in plasma phospholipids declined in th e infants fed the LCP-free formula but remained more or less constant during the whole feeding period in those infants fed breast milk as we ll as in those fed the LCP-supplemented formula. The differences betwe en the group fed the LCP-free standard formula and the two groups fed LCP-containing diets became significant during the first 2 weeks of fe eding. In contrast, there were no differences between the group fed br east milk and the group fed the supplemented formula during the study period. Similar effects could be observed regarding the composition of red blood cell membrane phospholipids, but the differences between th e infants fed the LCP-free standard formula and the two other groups w ith LCP-containing diets were significant only for AA. The data indica te that very low birth weight infants are unable to synthesize LCP fro m a-linolenic acid and linoleic acid in sufficient amounts to prevent a decline of LCP in plasma and red blood cell phospholipids. Additiona lly, the data show, that supplementation of formulas with n-3 and n-6 LCP in amounts typical for human milk fat results in similar fatty aci d profiles of plasma and red blood cell membrane phospholipids as foun d during breast milk feeding. Conclusion Supplementation of formula wi th long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids improves the LCP status of v ery low birth weight infants.