Gestational diabetes in the pregnant Omani population in relation to their fatty acid intake and levels
File(s)
Published online version
Author(s)
Al Sinani, Mohammed
Johnson, Mark
Crawford, Michael
Al Sinani, Moahammed
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Introduction
Low omega-3 Fatty acids (FAs) levels are associated with insulin resistance and upregulation of adiponectin and women with Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have lower n-3 FAs. The current study assesses the association between FAs intake and individual fatty acid levels and ratios in maternal and cord erythrocyte FAs’ profile GDM among sample of pregnant Arabic-speaking women in Oman.
Methodology
This prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant Omani women attending antenatal clinics in Al Buraimi, Oman, between 2019 and 2021. A subgroup of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus was compared with healthy pregnant controls. This analysis focuses on a subset of 56 women diagnosed with GDM compared to a control group of 101 healthy women. Seafood and the n-3 FAs intakes of women has been quantified by using a validated Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Maternal and cord blood FAs analysis of erythrocytes was carried out using the method of Folch et al.
Results
DHA and Omega-3 index (n-3 index) intake in the GDM population was significantly lower than in control group (p = 0.031) and (p = 0.05). GDM women had lower levels of Arachidonic acid (ArA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (p = 0.002), total n-3 FAs (p = 0.001), but a higher level of lignoceric acid (24:00), Eicosapentaenoic acid EPA In term of cord erythrocytes, GDM women was significantly lower Adrenic acid LA, ArA, DHA, Adrenic acid (AdA), total n-6 FAs and EPA (p = 0.021) compared to the women in the control group.
Conclusions
GDM women have a lower n-3 FAs intake reflected in their lower levels of erythrocyte membrane DHA. These findings provide the rationale for a randomized controlled trial of DHA replacement in pregnant women with low DHA levels to test the hypothesis that DHA replacement reduces the risk of developing GDM.
Low omega-3 Fatty acids (FAs) levels are associated with insulin resistance and upregulation of adiponectin and women with Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have lower n-3 FAs. The current study assesses the association between FAs intake and individual fatty acid levels and ratios in maternal and cord erythrocyte FAs’ profile GDM among sample of pregnant Arabic-speaking women in Oman.
Methodology
This prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant Omani women attending antenatal clinics in Al Buraimi, Oman, between 2019 and 2021. A subgroup of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus was compared with healthy pregnant controls. This analysis focuses on a subset of 56 women diagnosed with GDM compared to a control group of 101 healthy women. Seafood and the n-3 FAs intakes of women has been quantified by using a validated Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Maternal and cord blood FAs analysis of erythrocytes was carried out using the method of Folch et al.
Results
DHA and Omega-3 index (n-3 index) intake in the GDM population was significantly lower than in control group (p = 0.031) and (p = 0.05). GDM women had lower levels of Arachidonic acid (ArA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (p = 0.002), total n-3 FAs (p = 0.001), but a higher level of lignoceric acid (24:00), Eicosapentaenoic acid EPA In term of cord erythrocytes, GDM women was significantly lower Adrenic acid LA, ArA, DHA, Adrenic acid (AdA), total n-6 FAs and EPA (p = 0.021) compared to the women in the control group.
Conclusions
GDM women have a lower n-3 FAs intake reflected in their lower levels of erythrocyte membrane DHA. These findings provide the rationale for a randomized controlled trial of DHA replacement in pregnant women with low DHA levels to test the hypothesis that DHA replacement reduces the risk of developing GDM.
Date Issued
2026-05-01
Date Acceptance
2026-03-27
Citation
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2026
ISSN
1471-2393
Publisher
BMC
Journal / Book Title
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Publication Status
Published online
Date Publish Online
2026-05-01