25 - Essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids quantitation in breast milk samples at different gestational ages

Saturday, April 29, 2023

3:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

Poster Number: 25
Publication Number: 25.201

Giuseppe De Bernardo, Ospedale Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli, Napoli, Campania, Italy; Giuseppina Leone, Department of Woman and Child, Ospedale Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli, Naples, Italy, Naples, Campania, Italy; Maurizio Giordano, Federico II University, Napoli, Campania, Italy; Manuela Giovanna Basilicata, University of salerno, fisciano, Campania, Italy; Emanuela Salviati, University of Salerno, Salerno, Campania, Italy; Giacomo Pepe, University of salerno, san marzano sul sarno, Campania, Italy; Pietro Campiglia, University of salerno, fisciano, Campania, Italy

Presenting Author(s)

Giuseppe De Bernardo, MD

Medical Director
Ospedale Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli
Napoli, Campania, Italy

Background: Various studies have shown that the milk of a preterm infant differs from that of a term infant in the composition of micronutrients, vitamins, macronutrients, carbohydrates and proteins. The study of lipidomic is of particular interest because the role of fatty acids is known both as essential constituents of cell membranes and as molecules actively involved in energy metabolism. The study of human milk would offer the advantage of offering the best type of nutrition for the newborn at each specific period of life, in the event of a lack of mother's milk.

Objective:

Primary aim was to quantify essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of human milk between different gestational ages. Secondary objective was to evaluate the relationship between diet and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation with the quantity of fatty acids contained in breast milk.

Design/Methods:

A prospective single-center observational cohort study was conducted from March to December 2022 at Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli Hospital. They were enrolled mothers that had body mass index between 18-24,99 Kg/m² and gave written informed consent. The recruited mothers have been divided into 3 groups: women who gave birth under 32 weeks of gestational age (Group A ), women who gave birth between 32w and 36w+6 (Group B), women who gave birth over 37 weeks of gestational age (Group C). A sample of 10 ml of milk was collected after 7 days from the delivery from each mother by breast pump at 12 a.m., of which 1 mL of milk was treated with 4 mL of methanol in a test tube. The tube was vortexed for 30 s. Then, the sample was centrifuged for ten minutes at 6000 rpm, at room temperature. The supernatant was directly injected in UHPLC-MS/MS and analysed by Shimadzu Nexera (Shimadzu, Milan, Italy). It was collected also the mothers' eating habits through a questionnaire.

Results: They were enrolled 52 mothers, of which 18 in Group A, 15 in Group B and 19 in Group C. Baseline characteristics of the mothers, weekly feeding and quantification of free fatty acids in breast milk were reported in Table 1. Correlation between weekly feeding and free fatty acids are reported in Table 2. Finally, there was not statistical difference between groups for the assumption of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation (c² (2)=3,681; p >0,05).

Conclusion(s): Mothers with an adequate nutrition and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation have similar fatty acid levels after 7 days from delivery regardless of gestational age.