An investigation on the fatty acid content of breast milk from mothers residing in low socioeconomic areas of Egypt

Abstract

The study was carried on a small sample size of lactating Egyptian mothers from Urban Giza, who gave birth either to full-term or preterm babies. Mature milk was collected manually and was subjected to fatty acid analysis by gas chromatographic technique and the results were expressed as % concentration of total FAs. The results showed the wide mean ratio (30:1) of the essential FA linoleic (16.27 %) to alphalinolenic (α-ALA) (0.5 %) acid concentrations, which exceeds the respective worldwide average (WWA) of 0.32 %. Conclusion: The milks of Egyptian lactating mothers, the only nutrient supply of breast infants is deficient in its DHA. This deficiency may have future adverse effects on learning and scholastic performances. A national strategy is urgently warranted for supplementing pregnant and lactating women with oily fish rich in DHA content to achieve the target 2 of the sustainable development goal2030.