Table 2 Fatty acid (FA) composition of maternal breast milk according to the 4 groups

n-6 FA

 18:2 n-6 (LA)

13.5 ± 0.90

13.2 ± 0.94

12.1 ± 1.00

13.7 ± 0.91

0.68

 18:3 n-6 (ALA)

0.11 ± 0.02

0.07 ± 0.02

0.09 ± 0.02

0.09 ± 0.02

0.56

 20:4 n-6 (AA)

0.52 ± 0.04

0.60 ± 0.04

0.48 ± 0.04

0.61 ± 0.04

0.08

 22:5 n-6 (n-6 DPA)

0.03 ± 0.02^a

0.06 ± 0.02^a

0.08 ± 0.02^a

0.41 ± 0.02^b

< 0.0001

n-3 FA

 18:3 n-3

1.44 ± 0.17

1.61 ± 0.18

1.65 ± 0.19

1.33 ± 0.18

0.63

 20:5 n-3 (EPA)

0.04 ± 0.02^a

0.11 ± 0.02^b

0.06 ± 0.02^ab

0.10 ± 0.02^b

0.01

 22:5 n-3 (n-3 DPA)

0.13 ± 0.01^a

0.22 ± 0.01^b

0.13 ± 0.01^ac

0.18 ± 0.01^bc

< 0.0001

 22:6 n-3 (DHA)

0.21 ± 0.05^a

0.50 ± 0.05^b

0.39 ± 0.06^ab

1.46 ± 0.05^c

< 0.0001

Ratios

 DHA:AA

0.40 ± 0.10^a

0.91 ± 0.11^b

0.89 ± 0.11^b

2.40 ± 0.10^c

< 0.0001

 n-3:n-6

0.14 ± 0.01^a

0.18 ± 0.02^ab

0.19 ± 0.02^ab

0.22 ± 0.01^b

0.01

Sums

 ∑saturated

45.0 ± 1.88

44.1 ± 1.98

43.8 ± 2.10

42.3 ± 1.90

0.78

 ∑MUFA

37.2 ± 1.71

38.0 ± 1.80

39.8 ± 1.91

38.2 ± 1.73

0.77

 ∑PUFA n-6

15.5 ± 0.93

15.0 ± 0.98

13.7 ± 1.04

16.0 ± 0.94

0.45

 ∑PUFA n-3

2.18 ± 0.21^a

2.74 ± 0.23^ac

2.56 ± 0.24^a

3.41 ± 0.22^bc

0.002