LONG-CHAIN POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACID STATUS AND EARLY GROWTH OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS

We correlated arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) sta tus with anthropometric measures and growth rates in a group of low bi rth weight infants (less than or equal to 2500 g; gestational ages 30- 41 weeks; n = 143). AA and DHA status were measured in erythrocytes (R BC) and plasma cholesterol esters (CE) during days 10 to 42. Infants r eceived preterm formula without long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP; n = 81), with LCP (n = 29) or maternal milk (n = 33). RBC AA co ntents on day 10 were correlated (P < 0.05) with birth weight in breas t-fed infants and all formula-fed infants, with on day 10 a standard d eviation score (SDS) for weight, length and occipito-frontal circumfer ence in all formula-fed infants, and with on day 10 an SDS for length in breast-fed infants. Brain weight was related to RBC DHA and CE DHA contents on both day 10 and day 42 in formula-fed infants. Of the vari ances of brain growth parameters on day 42, 21-34% were explained by D HA status on day 42 and protein intake from days 10-42. Conclusion. We conclude that parameters of early neonatal AA status are related to i ntra-uterine rather than to post-natal growth. Parameters of post-nata l blain growth are related to RBC DHA and CE DHA contents on day 42, a nd to dietary protein intake. These results point to the importance of dietary DHA for brain growth in the first 6 post-natal weeks.