Plasma phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acids composition in early pregnancy and fetal growth trajectories throughout pregnancy: Findings from the US fetal growth studies-singletons cohort

Abstract

Background: We aimed to investigate plasma phospholipid PUFA levels in early pregnancy and fetal growth trajectories throughout pregnancy.

Methods: Within the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort, we enrolled 2,802 pregnant women at gestational weeks 8-13 and randomly assigned them to four ultrasonogram schedules to capture weekly fetal growth throughout pregnancy. Eleven plasma phospholipid PUFAs were measured at early pregnancy using blood samples collected from a subsample of 321 pregnant women. We modeled fetal growth trajectories across tertiles of PUFAs with cubic splines using linear mixed models after adjusting for major confounders. We then compared pairwise weekly fetal growth biometrics referencing the lowest tertile in each PUFA using the Wald test.

Findings: Among plasma n-3 PUFAs in early pregnancy, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n3) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n3) showed positive associations with all fetal growth measurements. For instance, compared with the lowest tertile, the highest tertile of DHA had greater estimated fetal growth (EFW) and abdominal circumference (AC), starting at 13 weeks of gestation and throughout pregnancy (at gestational week 38: 3235.3 vs. 3089.0 g for EFW; 344.6 vs. 339.2 mm for AC). As for plasma n-6 PUFAs, some showed positive associations (e.g., linoleic acid [LA], 18:2n6) while others (e.g., docosatetraenoic acid [DTA], 22:4n6) showed inverse associations with fetal growth measures.

Interpretation: Our data suggested that higher plasma levels of DHA and ALA in the first trimester were associated with increased fetal size and weight throughout subsequent pregnancy.

Funding: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development intramural funding.

Keywords: Cohort; Epidemiology; Fatty acid; Fetal growth; Nutrition; Plasma phospholipid; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Pregnancy.

Figure 1

Back-transformed geometric means of EFW by gestational weeks to tertiles of DHA within the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singletons, from 11-39 weeks gestational age. 1st tertile curve is in blue, 2nd tertile curve is in red and 3rd tertile is in green. The shaded area indicated a significant increment of EFW in the 3rd tertile compared with the 1^st tertile of DHA.

Figure 2

Back-transformed geometric means of EFW by gestational weeks to tertiles of ALA within the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singletons, from 11-39 weeks gestational age. 1st tertile curve is in blue, 2nd tertile curve is in red and 3rd tertile is in green. The shaded area indicated a significant increment of EFW in the 3rd tertile compared with the 1st tertile of ALA.