Placental transport dysfunction in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects the transfer of fatty acid (FA) from mother to fetus. However, the specific transport alterations remain unclear. This study investigated FA transport from mother to fetus in GDM. METHODS: Maternal serum, umbilical cord serum, and placental tissues were collected from 20 healthy (normal group) and 20 GDM pregnancies receiving glycemic management (GDM group). Fifty-one FA were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Placenta/mother and fetus/placenta ratios of FA compositions were compared between groups using Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate. RESULTS: < 0.001) was lower in GDM. CONCLUSIONS: FA profiles in mother, placenta, and fetus were affected by GDM despite glycemic management, especially in omega-3 and omega-6 LC PUFAs. This finding indicates that addressing fetal FA deficiency may depend on correcting placental dysfunction rather than solely increasing maternal FA supplementation, offering insights for developing nutritional and therapeutic strategies for GDM.