INTRODUCTION: It is a classical question of infant nutrition whether fatty acid composition of human milk differs in mothers of preterm as compared to those of full-term infants. AIMS AND METHODS: The authors analysed fatty acid composition of milk samples obtained five times during the first month of lactation from mothers of preterm (n = 8, gestational age: 28.0 [4.2] weeks, birthweight: 1235 [420] g, median [IQR]) and full-term (n = 10, gestational age: 38.5 [2.7] weeks, birthweight: 3375 [282] g) infants with high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Maternal age, body mass index and eating habits of the mothers did not differ between the two groups. Neither did fat contents of human milk differ between the two groups. Values of linoleic (C18:2omega-6) and alpha-linolenic (C18:3omega-3) acid did not differ. Values of arachidonic acid (C20:4omega-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6omega-3) were significantly higher following preterm as compared to full-term delivery. Values of the intermediary metabolites g-linolenic acid (C18:3omega-6), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (C20:3omega-6), octadecanotetraenoic acid (C18:4omega-3) and eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3omega-3) were also significantly higher in human milk samples of mothers of preterm as compared to those of full-term infants. CONCLUSION: Significantly higher contribution of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast milk of mothers giving birth to preterm as compared to full-term infants supports the concept, that preterm infants would benefit more from feeding their own mothers milk than from receiving donor milk.
INTRODUCTION: It is a classical question of infant nutrition whether fatty acid composition of human milk differs in mothers of preterm as compared to those of full-term infants. AIMS AND METHODS: The authors analysed fatty acid composition of milk samples obtained five times during the first month of lactation from mothers of preterm (n = 8, gestational age: 28.0 [4.2] weeks, birthweight: 1235 [420] g, median [IQR]) and full-term (n = 10, gestational age: 38.5 [2.7] weeks, birthweight: 3375 [282] g) infants with high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Maternal age, body mass index and eating habits of the mothers did not differ between the two groups. Neither did fat contents of human milk differ between the two groups. Values of linoleic (C18:2omega-6) and alpha-linolenic (C18:3omega-3) acid did not differ. Values of arachidonic acid (C20:4omega-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6omega-3) were significantly higher following preterm as compared to full-term delivery. Values of the intermediary metabolites g-linolenic acid (C18:3omega-6), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (C20:3omega-6), octadecanotetraenoic acid (C18:4omega-3) and eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3omega-3) were also significantly higher in human milk samples of mothers of preterm as compared to those of full-term infants. CONCLUSION: Significantly higher contribution of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast milk of mothers giving birth to preterm as compared to full-term infants supports the concept, that preterm infants would benefit more from feeding their own mothers milk than from receiving donor milk.