Role of Fatty Acids in Maternal Diets

Throughout pregnancy and/or lactation, maternal nutrition is connected to the adequate development of the fetus, newborn and future adult, likely by alterations in fetal programming and epigenetic regulation. Fetal programming is characterized by adaptive rejoinders to specific environmental circumstances during early life stages, which might change gene expression and forever affect the structure and function of numerous organs and tissues, therefore manipulating the vulnerability to metabolic disorders.

Regarding lipid metabolism throughout the first two trimesters of pregnancy, the maternal body accrues fat, while in late pregnancy, the lipolytic activity in the maternal adipose tissue is augmented. However excess or deficiency of certain fatty acids might lead to adverse consequences to the fetuses and newborns.

Fetal exposure to trans fatty acids seems to indorse premature harmful effects in the progeny’s well-being, thus increasing the individual risk for developing metabolic diseases during life. Likewise, the maternal consumption of saturated fatty acids appears to activate changes in the liver and adipose tissue function linked with insulin resistance and diabetes.

The polyunsaturated fatty acids, chiefly long-chain PUFAs, play an imperative and helpful physiologic role in the progeny who receive this fatty acid during critical periods of development.

So, the maternal nutritional condition and fatty acid intake during pregnancy and/or lactation are critical factors that are powerfully related with normal fetal and postnatal development, which affect the modifications in fetal programming and in the individual risk for developing metabolic diseases during life.

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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard