Gestational age in relation to marine n-3 fatty acids in maternal erythrocytes: a study of women in the Faroe Islands and Denmark

TY - JOUR

T1 - Gestational age in relation to marine n-3 fatty acids in maternal erythrocytes

T2 - a study of women in the Faroe Islands and Denmark

AU - Olsen, S.F.

AU - Hansen, Harald S.

AU - Sommer, S.

AU - Jensen, B.

AU - Sorensen, T.I.A.

AU - Secher, N.J.

AU - Zachariassen, P.

PY - 1991/1/1

Y1 - 1991/1/1

N2 - Gestation is longer in Faroese than Danish women, possibly because of the high intake of marine long-chain n-3 fatty acids that down regulates formation of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were quantified in erythrocytes obtained within 2 days of delivery from randomly selected groups of 62 Faroese and 37 Danish women with an assessable gestational age. Average ratio of long-chain n-3 fatty acids to arachidonic acid [(3/6) ratio] was 0.73 (SD = 0.11) in Faroese women and 0.61 (SD = 0.12) in Danish women (p <0.0001), corresponding to the higher intake of marine n-3 fatty acids in the Faroes. A 20% increase in the (3/6) ratio was associated with an increase in pregnancy duration of 5.7 days in Danish women (95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 10.1 days; p = 0.02) and 0.7 days in Faroese women (95% confidence interval, -2.0 to 3.3; p = 0.6). The hypothesized expposure-effect relationship may be weaker or absent at the higher level of exposure seen in the Faroese group.

AB - Gestation is longer in Faroese than Danish women, possibly because of the high intake of marine long-chain n-3 fatty acids that down regulates formation of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were quantified in erythrocytes obtained within 2 days of delivery from randomly selected groups of 62 Faroese and 37 Danish women with an assessable gestational age. Average ratio of long-chain n-3 fatty acids to arachidonic acid [(3/6) ratio] was 0.73 (SD = 0.11) in Faroese women and 0.61 (SD = 0.12) in Danish women (p <0.0001), corresponding to the higher intake of marine n-3 fatty acids in the Faroes. A 20% increase in the (3/6) ratio was associated with an increase in pregnancy duration of 5.7 days in Danish women (95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 10.1 days; p = 0.02) and 0.7 days in Faroese women (95% confidence interval, -2.0 to 3.3; p = 0.6). The hypothesized expposure-effect relationship may be weaker or absent at the higher level of exposure seen in the Faroese group.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0025793617&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:0025793617

SN - 0002-9378

VL - 164

SP - 1203

EP - 1209

JO - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

JF - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

IS - 5 I

ER -