The association between interpregnancy interval and birth weight: what is the role of maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid status?

Table 3 Results of the regression analyses relating essential fatty acid concentrations in quintiles and pregnancy outcome, defined as small for gestational age SGA and birth weight ¹

Fatty acid	Birth Weight (g)		SGA
	Mean ± SD	Beta ± SE²	% of women with SGA birth within quintile	Odds ratio (95% CI)³
EPA
Q1	3595 ± 536	−182.5 ± 39.0⁴	12.7	2.09 (1.32-3.30) ⁴
Q2	3579 ± 542	−66.1 ± 39.0	13.3	1.42 (0.88-2.31)
Q3	3645 ± 474	0.0	9.7	1.00
Q4	3664 ± 498	18.4 ± 38.9	9.6	0.98 (0.59-1.64)
Q5	3619 ± 489	−26.6 ± 39.0	10.8	1.13 (0.68-1.87)
DHA
Q1	3518 ± 520	−118.2 ± 39.2⁴	13.3	1.11 (0.70-1.75)
Q2	3593 ± 539	−43.8 ± 39.2	12.7	1.05 (0.66-1.67)
Q3	3636 ± 505	0.0	12.1	1.00
Q4	3602 ± 471	−34.4 ± 39.2	11.7	0.96 (0.60-1.54)
Q5	3621 ± 484	−15.4 ± 39.2	12.0	0.99 (0.62-1.59)
DGLA
Q1	3467 ± 472	−127.1 ± 38.9⁴	17.2	1.72 (1.10-2.69)⁴
Q2	3610 ± 520	16.5 ± 38.9	14.8	1.43 (0.90-2.26)
Q3	3594 ± 531	0.0	10.8	1.00
Q4	3634 ± 495	40.0 ± 38.9	11.5	1.07 (0.66-1.74)
Q5	3665 ± 486	71.0 ± 38.9	7.5	0.67 (0.39-1.15)
AA
Q1	3606 ± 507	−52.8 ± 39.1	10.8	1.07 (0.65-1.76)
Q2	3617 ± 501	−42.2 ± 39.1	9.7	0.94 (0.57-1.57)
Q3	3659 ± 482	0.0	10.2	1.00
Q4	3574 ± 533	−85.0 ± 39.0⁴	13.5	1.37 (0.86-2.21)
Q5	3514 ± 494	−145.0 ± 39.1⁴	17.6	1.88 (1.19-2.95)⁴

¹ Linear regression analysis with birth weight as dependent variable and fatty acid concentration as independent variable. n=1659 mother-infant pairs. Q1 to Q5 represents the quintile distribution of the relative concentrations given in Table 3. EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3); DHA, docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3), DGLA; dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20:3 n-6), AA; arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6). The middle quintile, Q3, used as reference category.
² Difference between the mean birth weight in the specific quintile and that of the reference quintile.
³ Odds ratio (95% CI).
⁴ p<0.05.

ISSN: 1471-2393