Essential fatty acid deficiency in malnourished children : erythrocyte and breastmilk fatty acid compositions in different populations

Many studies have shown that essential fatty acids (EFA) and their long-chain metabolites (long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, abbreviated LCPUFA) play important roles in processes like growth and development. EFA and LCPUFA are either from the ω3 series (e.g. α-linolenic acid, ALA; docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) or ω6 series (e.g. linoleic acid,LA; arachidonic acid, AA). They are mainly derived from vegetable oils, animal products (e.g. meat, eggs and fish) and breastmilk. Intake of these products may be low in malnourished children and these children may consequently be expected to have marginal or even deficient EFA and/or LCPUFA status. The aim of the thesis was to contribute to insight into EFA status of malnourished children and its causes, giving special attention to the role of breastfeeding. For this we concentrated on the fatty acid (FA) compositions of erythrocytes (RBC) and breastmilk from various populations in different parts of the world.