BLUE FISH INTAKE AND PERCENTUAL LEVELS OF POLYUNSATURATED PLASMATIC FATTY-ACIDS AT LABOR IN THE MOTHER AND THE NEWBORN-INFANT

To assess the relationship between maternal blue fish intake during pr egnancy and n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid percentual levels i n the mother and the newborn infant. Retrospective dietetic investigat ion at labor regarding fatty fish intake and blind plasma fatty acid a nalysis. Patients participants: 35 mothers and their newborn infants w ere studied in the Academic tertiary hospital. Mothers were classified in ''blue fish high intake'' group (blue fish intake > 35 g/day), int ermediate intake group (12-35 g/day) and low intake group (< 12 g/day) . Eleven fatty acids were analysed in plasma by means of gas chromatog raphy. Percentual arachidonic acid levels were lower in ''blue fish hi gh intake'' group mothers. Regarding the newborn infants, no differenc es were found concerning maternal intake. In the ''intermediate intake '' group of mothers, a correlation was found for maternal and fetal le vels in the following fatty acids: myristic, linoleic and linolenic ac ids, as well as in the sum of n-6 fatty acids. Although blue fish inta ke influences maternal plasma levels of arachidonic acid, it does not play a decisive role in either maternal or fetal eicosapentaenoic or d ocosahexaenoic acid levels. Other factors need to be considered such a s n-G/n-3 metabolic interaction, other nutrient composition and especi ally the role of placenta and fetal liver in the metabolism of polyuns aturated fatty acids.