Child Mental Development And Serum Free Fatty Acids In The First Trimester Of Pregnancy: A Population Based Nested Case Control Study

Objectives To establish a method of serum free fatty acids in the first trimesterof pregnancy by GC-MS. To examine the relationship between child mentaldevelopment and serum free fatty acids in the first trimester of pregnancy，andproviding a basis for supplementing food rich in fatty acid in the first trimester ofpregnancy.Methods It was a population based nested case control study. The mother whohad their first antenatal examination and signed informed consent voluntarily atMa’anshan Maternity and Child Health Center from October2008to October2010. The information about sociodemographic characteristics, past history ofdisease in pregnancy, prepregnancy health status and the other variables werecollected from Maternal and Child Health Record Form filled by pregnant womenwith the guidance of training doctor. Doctors collected5mL Peripheral venousblood from pregnant women and preserved in-80℃environment. Mental andpsychomotor development of2-year-old children (n=811) were assessed by theBayley Scales of Infant Development of China Revision (BSID-CR) from April2011to October2011, and Children who were MDI≤P5(x-1.64s) as lowdevelopment quotient group (n=43). According to1/3pair with matchingcondition of genetic factor, family environment and their parents’ education, thecontrol group include children who were normal intelligence (n=129). To explorethe relationship between child mental development and serum free fatty acids in the first trimester of pregnancy. We established a method of serum free fatty acidsin the first trimester of pregnancy by GC-MS. The difference of serum free fattyacids in the first trimester of pregnancy between different group were analyzed bycovariance and cox regression.Results We used GC-MS to test serum free fatty acids in the first trimester ofpregnancy, ultimately, we measured20types of free fatty acids which includeSFA, MSFA, TFA, DUFA and PUFA. Correlation analysis demonstrated that therewas a positive relationship between different of free fatty acids (P<0.05). Freefatty acids could be divided into6categories by clustering analysis. There wassignificant difference in PUFA, ω-3PUFA, ω-6PUFA, DPA, DHA, EPA, AA,EPA+DHA, DHA+AA between the cases and the controls (P<0.05). Aftercontrolling for confoundings including mother’s education, child’ age and theother factors, high level of EPA served as protective factors of child lowdevelopment quotient (OR=0.27,95%CI:0.12~0.64). Maternal serum of EPA inthe first trimester of pregnancy showed a downward trend with reducing thefrequency of fish other seafood intake (F=3.41, P=0.019).Conclusions The difference of maternal the first trimester serum level of freefatty acids is statistically significant between low developmental group andnormal intelligence group. The study suggests that there is an association betweenchild who are low development quotient and the lack of PUFA supplement inmother. Mother should supplement food rich in fatty acid in pregnancy.