To determine the incidence of essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency du
ring short term fat-free parenteral nutrition, the authors investigate
d prospectively the EFA status of nine low birthweight (1145 +/- 343 g
) preterm (28.2 +/- 1.9 weeks) infants, in whom delivery of dietary fa
t was delayed postnatally for 2-9 days. Serial determinations of plasm
a fatty acids showed that during fat-free alimentation, the major EFA,
linoleic acid (LA), decreased rapidly (-0.75% total fatty acids per d
ay), accompanied by a rise in endogenously produced non-essential fatt
y acid, eicosatrienoic acid (Mead acid). Essential fatty acid deficien
cy was confirmed biochemically by an elevation in the triene-tetraene
ratio in six of the infants, only one of whom developed clinical sympt
oms. Abnormal fatty acid profiles were corrected within a few days of
fat delivery by either intravenous or enteral routes. Essential fatty
acids and their metabolites are involved in a wide range of physiologi
cal functions vital to postnatal growth and development. Depletion of
these nutrients can be corrected by providing a minimum of 0.25 g LA/k
g per day (equivalent to 0.50 g/kg per day of 20% Intralipid or 30-50
mL/kg per day of breast milk).