Absolute (nmol/ml) and relative (% TFA) measures of fatty acids in maternal red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma at birth
| Fatty acids | Fish oil (n=29)* | Placebo (n=25)* |
|---|---|---|
| Values are median (range). | ||
| *Blood samples were not obtained from four subjects in the fish oil group and two subjects in the placebo group at birth. | ||
| **Significantly higher than placebo group. | ||
| AA, Arachidonic acid; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; EPA, eicospentaenoic acid; % TFA, percentage of total fatty acids. | ||
| RBCs (nmol/ml) | ||
| Total n−6 | 639 (131–1065) | 623 (151–1040) |
| AA | 225 (19–393) | 243 (49–372) |
| Total n−3 | 207 (9–393)** | 151 (24–298) |
| DHA | 3 (0.3–5)** | 2 (0.5–4) |
| EPA | 0 (0–19) | 0 (0–13) |
| RBCs (% TFA) | ||
| Total n−6 | 19.8 (9.7–22.3) | 19.6 (13.0–23.1) |
| AA | 8.5 (1.8–10.5) | 9.2 (3.9–11.5) |
| Total n−3 | 3.9 (0.5–6.3)** | 3.3 (0.7–5.3) |
| DHA | 168.2 (6.2–305.3)** | 118.9 (17.3–225.8) |
| EPA | 0.0 (0.0–0.3) | 0.0 (0.0–0.2) |
| Plasma (nmol/ml) | ||
| Total n−6 | 2567 (1025–4107) | 2384 (1597–4817) |
| AA | 245 (107–455) | 266 (163–531) |
| Total n−3 | 282 (29–2184) | 243 (82–510) |
| DHA | 172 (29–1954) | 139 (61–346) |
| EPA | 24 (0–91) | 19 (0–61) |
| Plasma (% TFA) | ||
| Total n−6 | 30.8 (24.5–36.9) | 29.6 (23.3–34.5) |
| AA | 3.7 (1.9–6.3) | 4.0 (2.9–5.3) |
| Total n−3 | 2.4 (0.2–3.7) | 2.0 (0.8–3.9) |
| DHA | 1.5 (0.2–2.2) | 1.3 (0.6–2.6) |
| EPA | 0.2 (0.0–0.6) | 0.2 (0.0–0.6) |