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Impact of early dietary gamma‐linolenic acid supplementation on atopic eczema in infancy
Author(s) -
Kitz Richard,
Rose Markus A.,
Schönborn Heidrun,
Zielen Stefan,
Böhles Hans J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2005.00369.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gamma linolenic acid , atopic dermatitis , alpha linolenic acid , linolenic acid , dermatology , pediatrics , polyunsaturated fatty acid , fatty acid , linoleic acid , biochemistry , docosahexaenoic acid , chemistry
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are components of cell membranes and may play an immunomodulating role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). The goal was to determine the impact of PUFAs on AD by dietary supplementation of infants. Based on the parents’ decision on their babies’ primary feeding, mothers and newborns were randomized to the supplementation with gamma‐linolenic acid (GLA) or placebo for up to 6 months. Breastfed infants received GLA by supplementing their mothers. Formula diet was commercial whey hydrolysate unsupplemented with PUFAs. Of 131 eligible infants, 24 developed AD within the first year of life. Of these, nine belonged to the exclusively breastfed group (n = 58), 14 to the combined‐fed group (n = 53), and one to the never breastfed group (n = 20). We could not find an influence of GLA on the development of AD. In subjects with AD, at 1 yr of age the serum‐immunoglobulin E (IgE) was the lowest in the GLA‐supplemented group A‐subjects. In the GLA‐supplemented group, GLA‐levels in breast milk were similar in atopic and non‐atopic infants. In the non‐supplemented group the GLA‐content of breast milk was 0.07% of total fatty acids in atopic infants vs. 0.17% in non‐atopic infants (p < 0.01). Dietary GLA‐supplementation could not prevent AD. Interestingly, the number of infants developing AD was the lowest in never breastfed children. In infants suffering from AD, GLA‐supplementation seemed to reduce total IgE in the first year of life.