The essential fatty acids (EFA) alpha linolenic (ALA) acid and linoleic acid (LA) are known to play an important role in brain development and learning, as well as behaviour and social interaction. Both ALA and LA increase fluidity of neuronal membranes and produce important cell signalling via the formation of eicosanoids. The EFA are highly important in neonates because they are required for optimal brain formation and function. This requirement for the EFA comes from the mothers milk. However, for optimal brain development the EFA are required all throughout pregnancy. In particular, the developing foetus requires high levels of docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), metabolites of ALA. For this requirement the foetus is totally reliant on the maternal blood supply, and therefore the maternal intake of the these compounds throughout pregnancy can directly influence the brain development of the foetus.
To investigate the relationship between EFA intake and fatty acid composition in neonates1, 23 healthy pregnant women were supplemented with fish oil capsules from the 30th week of gestation until delivery. The capsules supplied 0.86 mg of EPA and 0.62 g of DHA per day, with control groups receiving either a similar quantity of olive oil or nothing. The supplementation with fish oils resulted in an increase in the n‑3 fatty acid content of the maternal erythrocyte phospholipids, which was reflected in an increase in the amounts of n-3 fatty acids in the umbilical erythrocyte phospholipids and umbilical vessel wall. The fish oil supplemented group also showed lower levels of the EFA deficiency markers Mead (20:3n-9) and Osbond acid (20:5n-6). The authors concluded that mothers supplementing with fish oils in the last trimester of pregnancy have children with better docosahexanoic status at birth.
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