Polyunsaturated fatty acid content of mother's milk is associated with childhood body composition

Background:Polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption has changed, and the prevalence of adiposity has increased over the last thirty years. A decrease of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content in breast-milk has been suggested a contributing factor. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between docosahexaenoic acid content and n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio in breast-milk, body composition and timing of adiposity rebound in children.Methods:In the Copenhagen Prospective Study on Asthma in Childhood birth cohort, breast-milk fatty acid profile was determined in 281 mothers and body mass index (BMI) development prospectively followed to the age of seven years in 222 children. Age and BMI at adiposity rebound was identified. Furthermore, fat mass determination by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed in 207 children at six to nine years of age.Results:There was a significant association between breast-milk docosahexaenoic acid and BMI from two to seven years, fat mass and, for the girls, age at adiposity rebound. No associations were observed between the breast-milk n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid-ratio and body composition.Conclusion:Early intake of docosahexaenoic acid may have an impact on body composition. Dietary habits of lactating mothers could contribute to the increased prevalence of obesity in western societies.Pediatric Research (2012); doi:10.1038/pr.2012.127.