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Maternal Blood Fatty Acid Levels in Small and Adequate for Gestational Age Pregnancies

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Abstract

Background

The aim is to assess the levels of fatty acids (FAs) in pregnancies with small for gestational age (SGA) and adequate for gestational age (AGA) fetuses, constituting an association between FAs and fetal growth; according to the role of FA, lower levels were expected in SGA.

Materials and Methods

This was an analytical cross-sectional study including pregnant women with gestational ages of 26–36 weeks with AGA and constitutionally SGA fetuses diagnosed by ultrasonography. The levels of saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were measured using centrifugation and liquid chromatography. Student’s t test and general linear model using gestational age as covariant were used to compare the levels of FAs and the groups (AGA and SGA). Chi-square was used to evaluate the association between groups and studied variables. Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to evaluate the correlation between the levels of FAs and gestational age.

Results

Peripheral blood was collected from 67 pregnant women, 3 of whom were excluded from the study. No significant statistical differences were observed between SGA (n = 40) and AGA (n = 24) in relation to saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (p > 0.05). There was not significant correlation between saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FAs and gestational age (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The levels of saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FAs were similar in constitutionally SGA and AGA fetuses.

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Funding

This study was not funded.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine – Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), Rua Belchior de Azevedo, 156 apto. 111 Torre Vitoria, São Paulo, SP, 05089-030, Brazil

    Raquel Margiotte Grohmann, Isabela César Corazza, Vivian Macedo Gomes Marçal, Edward Araujo Júnior (Professor) & Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza

  2. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil

    Alberto Borges Peixoto

  3. Gynecology and Obstetrics Service, Mário Palmério University Hospital, University of Uberaba (UNIUBE), Uberaba, MG, Brazil

    Alberto Borges Peixoto

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Neonatology, Istituto di Ricerca a Carattere Clinico Scientifico (IRCCS), AUSL Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy

    Gabriele Tonni

Authors
  1. Raquel Margiotte Grohmann
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  2. Isabela César Corazza
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  3. Alberto Borges Peixoto
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  4. Vivian Macedo Gomes Marçal
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  5. Edward Araujo Júnior
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  6. Gabriele Tonni
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  7. Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edward Araujo Júnior.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Raquel Margiotte Grohmann is a Medical Assistant Isabela César Corazza - Gynecologist / Obstetrician Alberto. Borges Peixoto is an Adjunct Professor. Vivian Macedo Gomes Marçal is a Gynecologist / Obstetrician. Edward Araujo Júnior is an Associate Professor. Gabriele Tonni is a Full Professor Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza.

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Grohmann, R.M., Corazza, I.C., Peixoto, A.B. et al. Maternal Blood Fatty Acid Levels in Small and Adequate for Gestational Age Pregnancies. J Obstet Gynecol India 72 (Suppl 1), 217–223 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13224-022-01632-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13224-022-01632-z

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