Associations between maternal fish intakes, maternal and cord polyunsaturated fatty acids and longitudinal measures of child weight at birth, 20 months, and at 7 and 13 years of age

Prenatal exposure to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been associated with child weight at birth and may have a persistent effect on adiposity development across childhood. Fish is the richest source of n-3 PUFAs within the diet; albeit few studies have investigated associations between maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and child weight. This study examines associations between maternal fish consumption and prenatal PUFA status (n-3 and n-6), with longitudinal measures of child weight in the high-fish-eating Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2. Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy was assessed using a Fish Use Questionnaire administered at 28-weeks’ gestation. Serum PUFAs were quantified in maternal blood collected at 28-weeks’ gestation and in cord blood collected at delivery. Birth weight was measured at delivery and classified according to WHO growth standards (n=1185). Child length/height (m) and weight (kg) were recorded at 20 months (n=1182), 7 (n=1167) and 13 (n=878) years. Child BMI was classified according to child z-scores. Maternal total fish consumption (range: 0.0-584.71 g/day) was not associated with child weight at any age. At 7 and 13 years maternal total n-6 PUFAs were associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity (7yr; OR=1.62, p =0.037, 13yr; OR=2.05, p =0.005). Lower (<0.071mg/ml) cord docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations were associated with a greater likelihood of being large for gestational age (LGA; >90 th percentile) when compared to higher (>0.129mg/ml) cord DHA concentrations (OR 4.17, p =0.017). This study suggests prenatal maternal n-3 and n-6 PUFA status may influence postnatal outcomes, including child adiposity from birth until adolescence.