PLASMA AND RED-BLOOD-CELL FATTY-ACIDS OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS FED THEIR MOTHERS EXPRESSED BREAST-MILK OR PRETERM-INFANT FORMULA

The fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids, red blood cell (RBC) phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was determined for low-birth-weight (LBW) infants when full oral feeding commenced (day 0) and after a further 28 d (day 28). They were fed their mother's expressed breast milk (PTM, n = 9), formula (SCF, n = 16) with 2% 18:3n-3 fatty acids, 20% 18:2n-6 fatty acids, or a combination of SCF and PTM (n = 11). Concentrations of all 20-and 22-carbon n-6 and n-3 fatty acids were similar among the infant groups on days 0 and 28 (mean postnatal age 42 ± 1.3 d). The results suggest that formula with ≥2% 18:3n-3 and a ratio of 18:2n-6 to 18:3n-3 similar to that of human milk may permit incorporation of n-3 fatty acids in LBW infant tissues equivalent to that from human milk.