[Controversy about the critical role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), during infancy].

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are critical for infant growth and development, particularly arachidonic acid (ARA, C20:4n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3). ARA and DHA are components of cell membrane phospholipids and play an important role in cell division, differentiation, and signaling; and DHA is the n-3 fatty acid predominant in the developing brain and retina. During the third trimester of pregnancy, LC-PUFAs increase substantially in fetal circulation, and a "biomagnification" process in the fetal brain is observed.

The Effect of Maternal Obesity on Breast Milk Fatty Acids and Its Association with Infant Growth and Cognition-The PREOBE Follow-Up.

This study analyzed how maternal obesity affected fatty acids (FAs) in breast milk and their association with infant growth and cognition to raise awareness about the programming effect of maternal health and to promote a healthy prenatal weight. Mother-child pairs ( = 78) were grouped per maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI): normal-weight (BMI = 18.5-24.

The Effect of an Infant Formula Supplemented with AA and DHA on Fatty Acid Levels of Infants with Different FADS Genotypes: The COGNIS Study.

Polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) genes influence the arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid concentrations (crucial in early life). Infants with specific genotypes may require different amounts of these fatty acids (FAs) to maintain an adequate status. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an infant formula supplemented with AA and DHA on FAs of infants with different FADS genotypes.

Association of maternal weight with FADS and ELOVL genetic variants and fatty acid levels- The PREOBE follow-up.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) and elongase (ELOVL) enzymes affect long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) production. We aimed to determine if these SNPs are associated with body mass index (BMI) or affect fatty acids (FAs) in pregnant women. Participants (n = 180) from the PREOBE cohort were grouped according to pre-pregnancy BMI: normal-weight (BMI = 18.

Evaluation of less invasive methods to assess fatty acids from phospholipid fraction: cheek cell and capillary blood sampling.

Plasma is the most commonly employed matrix for analyzing fatty acids (FAs), but its extraction is not well accepted in the infant population. The objectives of this study were to evaluate cheek cells and capillary blood as alternatives to plasma sampling for FA analysis and to standardize the methodology. Samples were obtained from 20 children who underwent lipid extraction, phospholipid isolation by Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) in a 96-well plate, methylation, and analysis by fast gas chromatography (GC).