Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in mothers of preterm babies.

Aims: to examine the levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in both plasma and erythrocytes of maternal and cord blood as well as in breast milk of mothers of preterm babies.

Methods: a total of 63 mothers of preterm babies were recruited from the Bharati Medical Hospital, Pune, India.

Results: plasma and erythrocyte DHA and AA levels were higher (P<0.