Content of n-3 LC-PUFA in breast milk four months postpartum is associated with infancy blood pressure in boys and infancy blood lipid profile in girls

TY - JOUR

T1 - Content of n-3 LC-PUFA in breast milk four months postpartum is associated with infancy blood pressure in boys and infancy blood lipid profile in girls

AU - Bruun, Signe

AU - van Rossem, Lenie

AU - Lauritzen, Lotte

AU - Husby, Steffen

AU - Neergaard Jacobsen, Lotte

AU - Michaelsen, Kim F.

AU - Boysen Sandberg, Maria

AU - Stark, Ken D

AU - Sørensen, Jan

AU - Zachariassen, Gitte

N1 - CURIS 2019 NEXS 037

PY - 2019/2/1

Y1 - 2019/2/1

N2 - Blood pressure (BP) and blood lipid profile (BLP) have been shown to track from childhood into adulthood, and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) in breast milk have been suggested as mediators of the beneficial long-term effect of breastfeeding on BP and BLP. We aimed to investigate associations between n-3 LC-PUFA content in breast milk at 4 months postpartum and offspring BP and BLP in early life. BP and BLP were measured at 4, 18, and 36 months. Statistical analyses were sex-stratified and adjusted for gestational age, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and maternal educational level. Based on 336 mother-child dyads, high n-3 LC-PUFA in breast milk was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP in boys at 4 months (β = -20.0 (95% CI = -33.4, -6.7), p = 0.004 and β = -10.2 (95% CI = -19.8, -0.5), p = 0.039, respectively); inversely associated with HDL cholesterol, and directly associated with triglyceride in girls at 4 months (β = -0.7 (95% CI = -1.1, -0.3), p = 0.001 and β = 3.1 (95% CI = 1.0, 5.2), p = 0.005, respectively). Associations observed at the later time points were non-significant. Furthermore, we observed sex-specific changes over time in both size and direction of the associations. Our results indicate that early intake of n-3 LC-PUFA can affect early development in cardiometabolic factors such as BP and BLP in a sex-specific manner. Follow-up and further investigation in later childhood is planned.

AB - Blood pressure (BP) and blood lipid profile (BLP) have been shown to track from childhood into adulthood, and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) in breast milk have been suggested as mediators of the beneficial long-term effect of breastfeeding on BP and BLP. We aimed to investigate associations between n-3 LC-PUFA content in breast milk at 4 months postpartum and offspring BP and BLP in early life. BP and BLP were measured at 4, 18, and 36 months. Statistical analyses were sex-stratified and adjusted for gestational age, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and maternal educational level. Based on 336 mother-child dyads, high n-3 LC-PUFA in breast milk was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP in boys at 4 months (β = -20.0 (95% CI = -33.4, -6.7), p = 0.004 and β = -10.2 (95% CI = -19.8, -0.5), p = 0.039, respectively); inversely associated with HDL cholesterol, and directly associated with triglyceride in girls at 4 months (β = -0.7 (95% CI = -1.1, -0.3), p = 0.001 and β = 3.1 (95% CI = 1.0, 5.2), p = 0.005, respectively). Associations observed at the later time points were non-significant. Furthermore, we observed sex-specific changes over time in both size and direction of the associations. Our results indicate that early intake of n-3 LC-PUFA can affect early development in cardiometabolic factors such as BP and BLP in a sex-specific manner. Follow-up and further investigation in later childhood is planned.

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - Cohort study

KW - Cardiovascular health

KW - Omega-3

KW - Fatty acids

KW - Human milk

KW - Milk composition

KW - Cholesterol

KW - Triglyceride

U2 - 10.3390/nu11020235

DO - 10.3390/nu11020235

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30678226

SN - 2072-6643

VL - 11

JO - Nutrients

JF - Nutrients

IS - 2

M1 - 235

ER -