Increased α-Linolenic Acid Intake during Pregnancy is Associated with Higher Offspring Birth Weight

BACKGROUND: The amount and type of fat in the maternal diet during pregnancy are important contributors to fetal growth. The importance of plant-based omega-3 fatty acid (α-linolenic acid, ALA) intake in fetal growth has not been previously examined. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the association of maternal ALA intake during pregnancy with birth weight and body composition of the offspring. METHODS: Mothers and their newborn infants (n = 224) were recruited from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia. Maternal diet during pregnancy was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Plasma fatty acid composition was analyzed in a subset of mothers (n = 41). Newborn body composition was assessed using air-displacement plethysmography. All analyses were adjusted for gestational age, sex, physical activity, and total energy intake. RESULTS: Dietary fatty acid intakes were positively associated with plasma phospholipid fatty acids for total omega-3 fatty acids (β = 0.452, P = 0.003), ALA (β = 0.339, P = 0.03), linoleic acid (β = 0.353, P = 0.03), eicosapentaenoic acid (β = 0.407, P = 0.009), and docosahexaenoic acid (β = 0.388, P = 0.01). Higher maternal intake of ALA (% total fat) was associated with higher offspring birth weight [189.7-g increase per 1% higher ALA (95% CI: 14, 365 g); P = .04], although individually neither newborn fat mass nor fat-free mass was significant. Birth weight increased across tertiles of maternal ALA intake (P(ANOVA )= 0.05), with birth weight being 221 g (95% CI: 12, 429 g) higher in those with the highest maternal ALA intake compared with those with the lowest intake (P = 0.04). Mothers of infants born small for gestational age (n = 32) had a lower ALA intake than those born appropriate for gestational age (n = 162) or large for gestational age [(n = 21); P = 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: In otherwise healthy women giving birth at a major tertiary hospital in Australia, intake of ALA during pregnancy is associated with higher offspring birth weight. This may have implications for dietary strategies aimed at optimizing fetal growth via modification of maternal diet.