Association of Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in Meconium of Neonates with Growth Deficits at Birth: a Prospective, Single-Centre Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: In this prospective cohort study, we investigated the association between fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium as biomarkers of prenatal ethanol exposure and growth deficits, as birth outcomes, that constitute several of the key cardinal features of fetal alcohol syndrome. METHODS: A total of 157 meconium samples were collected from enrolled infants within 24 hours of birth, and nine FAEEs were quantified using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The relationships between cumulative concentrations of nine species of FAEEs in meconium and birth parameters of growth (age-sex-specific centiles of head circumference [HC], weight, and length) and respective and combined birth outcomes of growth deficits (HC ≤ 10th centile, weight ≤ 10th centile, and length ≤ 10th centile) were determined. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that higher cumulative concentrations of meconium FAEEs correlated with elevated risks for HC and length, both, 10th percentile or less (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–7.74; P = 0.029) and HC and weight and length, all of them, 10th percentile or less (aOR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.12–9.59; P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: The elevated cumulative FAEEs in meconium were associated with combined growth deficits at birth, specifically HC and length, both, 10th percentile or less, which might be correlated with detrimental alcohol effects on fetal brain and bone development, suggesting a plausible alcohol-specific pattern of intrauterine growth restriction.

Effect of Chronical Ethanol Ingestion on the Levels of Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEEs) and Lipid Peroxidation in Rat Tissues

The present study was designed to observe the effect of chronically ingested ethanol on the level of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), which is a non-oxidative metabolite of ethanol metabolism in tissues, and its correlation to the status of oxidative stress in rats. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 145 - 155 g were divided into 2 groups, Control and EtOH. All rats were fed Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet for 4 weeks by pair-feeding. An isocaloric maltose dextrin was added in replace of 50 g ethanol (36%kcal) in the control diet. Chronically ingested ethanol significantly increased the content of FAEEs in pancreas and liver, but not in brain. The level of 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was significantly increased, but alpha-tocopherol level was significantly decreased in pancreas and liver. However, the levels of TBARS and alpha-tocopherol in brain were not significantly affected by ethanol ingestion. Therefore, chronically ingested ethanol might cause tissue damage by increasing the levels of FAEEs and TBARS and dissipating more alpha-tocopherol in tissues.