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Fatty acid supply with complementary foods and LC-PUFA status in healthy infants: results of a randomised controlled trial

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Abstract

Purpose

Introduction of complementary food usually leads to decreasing intakes of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), compared to full breastfeeding. In the randomised controlled PINGU intervention trial, we tested the effects of complementary foods with different contents of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on term infant LC-PUFA status.

Methods

Healthy infants born at term were randomised to receive from the introduction of complementary feeding at the age of 4 to 6 months until age of 10 months ready-made complementary meals either with ALA-rich rapeseed oil (intervention group (IG)-R), with salmon twice weekly to provide preformed DHA (IG-F), or with linoleic acid-rich corn oil (control group, CG). Fatty acid composition was assessed in erythrocyte (RBC) and plasma glycerophospholipids.

Results

Complete data of fatty acids in RBC (plasma) were available from 158 (155) infants. After intervention, infants assigned to IG-F showed higher RBC and plasma percentages of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), DHA, and total n-3 LC-PUFA than CG (each p < 0.001). In IG-R, levels of ALA and the ratio of ALA to LA in plasma and RBC (all p < 0.0001) as well as RBC–EPA (p < 0.0001) were higher than in CG, while DHA levels did not differ between IG-R and CG.

Conclusions

Regular fish consumption during complementary feeding enhances infant EPA and DHA status. The usage of rapeseed oil in small amounts concordant with EU-law for commercial meals enhances endogenic EPA-synthesis, but does not affect DHA status. Provision of oily fish with complementary feeds is advisable to prevent a decline of DHA status.

Clinical Trial Registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT01487889, title: Polyunsaturated fatty acids in child nutrition—a German multimodal optimisation study (PINGU).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the infants and their parents for their participation in the PINGU study and the nine maternity clinics in Dortmund and region (Klinikum Dortmund, St. Johannes Hospital, Dortmund, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Dortmund, St. Josefs Hospital, Dortmund-Hörde, Marienkrankenhaus, Schwerte, St. Marien-Hospital, Lünen, Allgemeines Krankenhaus, Hagen, Marienhospital, Witten, Ev. Krankenhaus, Hagen-Haspe) for supporting recruitment. In addition, the authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Walter Krämer (TU Dortmund, Germany), Oliver Brosig, and Konstantin Lang (both from Chrestos Concept GmbH & Co.KG, Ratingen, Germany) for their support and advice regarding the statistical analyses, Milad Al-Tawil and Seda Berber (both from Pediatric Clinic Dortmund) for conducting paediatric assessments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Child Nutrition (FKE) Dortmund, University of Bonn, Heinstueck 11, 44225, Dortmund, Germany

    Lars Libuda, Christina M. Mesch, Madlen Stimming & Mathilde Kersting

  2. Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich Medical Centre, Munich, Germany

    Hans Demmelmair & Berthold Koletzko

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

    Petra Warschburger

  4. Pediatric Clinic Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany

    Katharina Blanke & Hermann Kalhoff

  5. Research Unit of Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Munich, Germany

    Eva Reischl

Authors
  1. Lars Libuda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lars Libuda.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the priority programme on Nutritional Research—for a Healthy Life; Module Innovations and New Ideas for the Nutritional Sector. Support code: 01EA1335A. Additional support was provided by the European Research Council Advanced Grant ERC-2012-AdG—no.322605 META-GROWTH.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Libuda, L., Mesch, C.M., Stimming, M. et al. Fatty acid supply with complementary foods and LC-PUFA status in healthy infants: results of a randomised controlled trial. Eur J Nutr 55, 1633–1644 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-0982-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-0982-2

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