Associations among Human Milk Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Infant Sleep Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Authors

• Ana M Palacios
• Dominick J Lemas
• Bridget E Young
• Erik Parker
• Stephanie Dickinson
• Nandi Marshall
• Kelly L Sullivan
• Haley Wilt
• Michelle I Cardel
• David B Allison

Language

English

Publication Date

10-1-2025

Journal

Journal of Nutrition

DOI

10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.07.021

PMID

40754212

PMCID

PMC12799456

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

7-30-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background: Infant sleep is critical for cognitive, emotional, and long-term health outcomes. Although diet-sleep relationships are established, limited research has explored how polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in human milk (HM) relate to infant sleep.

Objectives: This study aims to examine associations between PUFAs in HM and sleep patterns in 2-mo-old infants exclusively fed with HM.

Methods: This cross-sectional secondary analysis used data from a lactation cookie trial involving 131 parents of healthy, term infants. Participants provided a fasting HM sample and completed sociodemographic and Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire surveys. Multivariate linear models were adjusted for infant sex assigned at birth, weight-for-length z-scores, maternal prepregnancy body mass index, and daily feedings.

Results: Participants self-identified as 81.7% White, 13.3% Hispanic, with 25.9% reporting an annual income

Conclusions: Higher HM proportions of omega-3 and omega-6, particularly ALA and LA, were associated with greater diurnal sleep in exclusively HM-fed 2 month olds. Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and long-term developmental impacts. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04805008.

Keywords

Adult, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Breast Feeding, Cross-Sectional Studies, Fatty Acids, Unsaturated, Milk, Human, Sleep, Surveys and Questionnaires, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, infant sleep, human milk, polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3, omega-6, PUFA, LCPUFA, ALA, LA, infant

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Palacios, Ana M; Lemas, Dominick J; Young, Bridget E; et al., "Associations among Human Milk Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Infant Sleep Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Study." (2025). Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications. 325.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/staff_pub/325