The dietary intake of EFA and long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) by women with (
n=14) and without (
n=31) gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was determined by repeated 24-h recalls. Women with GDM consumed significantly more
energy as fat compared with women who had uncomplicated pregnancies; absolute dietary fat did not differ. Dietary n−3 LCPUFA
was substantially lower than the current recommendation for pregnancy, whereas intake of saturated FA (SFA) exceeded it. We
conclude that replacing dietary sources of SFA with those of EFA and LCPUFA, especially n−3 LCPUFA, would benefit the dietary
fat profiles of all pregnant women.