THE EFFECT OF SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA ON MATERNAL AND CORD ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACID PROFILES

Objective. To examine the effect of severe pre-eclampsia on maternal a nd cord erythrocyte membrane essential fatty acid profiles. Design. Cl inical trial. Setting. Obstetric High Care Unit, Tygerberg Hospital. P atients. Erythrocyte membrane (EM) essential fatty acid profiles were determined in 17 women with severe preeclampsia, in 17 normotensive pr egnant women, and in the cord blood of their respective infants. Resul ts. Pre-eclamptic women had lower EM phosphatidylcholine linoleic acid (C18:2n-6; LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3; ALA) levels and lo wer EM phosphatidylethanolamine ALA levels than the normotensive women with lower cord blood docosahexaenoic acid levels (C22:6n-3; DHA) in both phospholipid fractions, All cord blood arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6 ; AA) levels were higher than the maternal levels. Conclusions. Pre-ec lamptic women have lower LA and ALA levels than normotensive pregnant women, but AA and DHA levels in the two groups are similar. The cord b lood DHA levels of infants of pre-eclamptic women are lower than those of the infants of normotensive women. Infants born to pre-eclamptic w omen may need dietary DHA to replenish DHA stores, This can be obtaine d from breast-milk or from a formula enriched with DHA.