Variation in fat, lactose and protein in human milk over 24h and throughout the first year of lactation

  • Mitoulas L
  • Kent J
  • Cox D
  • et al.
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Abstract

Fat in human milk is extremely variable and can represent up to 50 % of infant energy intake. To accurately determine milk composition and infant intake at 1 ( n 17), 2 ( n 17), 4 ( n 17), 6 ( n 15), 9 ( n 6) and 12 ( n 5) months of lactation, samples of fore- and hind-milk were collected from each breast at each feed over 24 h periods from an initial group of seventeen women. The content of fat in milk varied over 24 h, with a mean CV of 47·6 (SE 2·1) % ( N 76) AND 46·7 (se 1·7) % ( n 76) for left and right breasts respectively. The 24 h amounts of fat, lactose and protein in milk differed between women ( P =0·0001), but were consistent between left and right breasts. Daily milk production differed between breasts ( P =0·0001) and women ( P =0·0001). Accordingly, amounts of fat ( P =0·0008), lactose ( P =0·0385) and protein ( P =0·0173) delivered to the infant over 24 h also differed between breasts and women ( P =0·0001). The energy content of milk and the amount of energy delivered to the infant over 24 h were the same between breasts, but differed between women ( P =0·0001). The growth rate of a group of only six infants in the present study was not related to either the concentrations or amounts of fat, lactose, protein and energy in milk over the first 6 months of life. These results show the individuality of milk composition and suggest that only a rigorous sampling routine that takes into account all levels of variation will allow the accurate determination of infant intake of fat, lactose, protein and energy.

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APA

Mitoulas, L. R., Kent, J. C., Cox, D. B., Owens, R. A., Sherriff, J. L., & Hartmann, P. E. (2002). Variation in fat, lactose and protein in human milk over 24h and throughout the first year of lactation. British Journal of Nutrition, 88(1), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1079/bjn2002579

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