Maternal dietary ratio of linoleic acid to alpha-linolenic acid during pregnancy has sex-specific effects on placental and fetal weights in the rat

Table 5 Fetal and placental weights and fetal organs

	Sex	High LA (18% Fat)	High LA (36% Fat)	Low LA (18% Fat)	Low LA (36% Fat)
Fetal bodyweight (g)	Male	3.33 ± 0.04	3.25 ± 0.08	3.55 ± 0.09	3.32 ± 0.09
Fetal bodyweight (g)	Female	3.01 ± 0.06^a	2.95 ± 0.09^a	3.36 ± 0.12^b	3.21 ± 0.08^b
Placenta weight (g)	Male	0.50 ± 0.02^a	0.52 ± 0.03^a	0.56 ± 0.03^b	0.61 ± 0.02^b
Placenta weight (g)	Female	0.48 ± 0.02	0.48 ± 0.04	0.52 ± 0.02	0.51 ± 0.03
Fetal liver weight (% BW)	Male	7.43 ± 0.42	6.52 ± 0.11	6.81 ± 0.58	6.97 ± 0.25
Fetal liver weight (% BW)	Female	7.51 ± 0.38^a	6.99 ± 0.29^b	7.73 ± 0.22^a	6.86 ± 0.28^b
Fetal-placental ratio	Male	6.79 ± 0.24	6.37 ± 0.33	6.51 ± 0.41	5.99 ± 0.41
Fetal-placental ratio	Female	6.38 ± 0.32	6.35 ± 0.48	7.72 ± 0.96	6.13 ± 0.36

Data are presented as mean values ± SEM (n = 4–6 per group). LA linoleic acid, BW bodyweight. Mean values with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (P < 0.05)

ISSN: 1743-7075