THE ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACID STATUS OF MOTHER AND CHILD IN PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION - A PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate, in a prospective way, wheth er the altered essential fatty acid status observed in pregnancy-induc ed hypertension is a consequence of the disease or may contribute to i ts cause. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant women healthy at the start of the stu dy were asked to give a blood sample before 16 weeks, at 22 weeks, and at 32 weeks of gestation. After delivery a blood sample from the umbi lical vein, a piece of the umbilical cord, and a maternal blood sample were collected. Fatty acid compositions were determined of the phosph olipids isolated from plasma and umbilical arterial and venous vessel walls. The nutrient intake of the pregnant women was assessed by use o f the dietary history method and food frequency questionnaires. The re sults of each woman with pregnancy-induced hypertension were compared with the results of three matched healthy controls. RESULTS: During pr egnancy (16 to 32 weeks) no significant differences were observed in n utrient intake and maternal plasma fatty acid composition between the group with pregnancy-induced hypertension (n = 52) and the control gro up (n = 156). After delivery the relative amounts of 18:2(n-6) and 18: 3(n-3) in maternal plasma were significantly lower in pregnancy-induce d hypertension than in normal pregnancy. This was associated with sign ificantly higher levels of (n-6) long-chain polyenes and cervonic acid (22:6[n-3]). In comparison with the situation at 32 weeks, the postpa rtum cervonic acid status increased in pregnancy-induced hypertension, whereas it decreased in normal pregnancy. The cervonic acid levels in umbilical plasma phospholipids were significantly higher after pregna ncy-induced hypertension than after normal pregnancy. No significant d ifferences were observed for the fatty acid content in umbilical vesse l walls.CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the altered essential fa tty acid status in pregnancy-induced hypertension is a late phenomenon and is therefore unlikely to have contributed to the pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Moreover, the neonatal essential fatty acid status is not negatively affected by pregnancy-induced hypertens ion.