Postnatal adaptations of phosphatidylcholine metabolism in extremely preterm infants: implications for choline and PUFA metabolism

BACKGROUND Lipid metabolism in pregnancy delivers PUFAs from maternal liver to the developing fetus. The transition at birth to diets less enriched in PUFA is especially challenging for immature, extremely preterm infants who are typically supported by total parenteral nutrition. OBJECTIVE The aim was to characterize phosphatidylcholine (PC) and choline metabolism in preterm infants and demonstrate the molecular specificity of PC synthesis by the immature preterm liver in vivo. METHODS This MS-based lipidomic study quantified the postnatal adaptations to plasma PC molecular composition in 31 preterm infants