Abstract
Maternal fat intake and adipose reserves are major sources of PUFA during lactation. The present study examined the cross-sectional relationship between prolonged breast-feeding and maternal BMI, assessed adequacy of fat intake among lactating and non-lactating mothers of children 24â€"48 months of age and determined breast-milk fatty acid composition. Multi-stage sampling was used to select a representative sample of mothers from two rural districts in Bangladesh (n 474). Dietary data were collected during two non-consecutive 24 h periods via 12 h in-home daytime observations and recall. The National Cancer Institute method for episodically consumed foods was used to estimate usual intake distributions. Breast milk samples were collected from ninety-eight women, and breast-milk fatty acid methyl esters were quantified using GC. Approximately 42% of lactating v. 26 % of non-lactating mothers were underweight (BMI <18•5kg/m2; P=0•0003). The maternal diet was low in total fat (approximately 8% of mean total energy) and food sources of PUFA, including oil and animal source foods, resulting in a low estimated mean total consumption of PUFA (5•1g/d). Almost all women were estimated to consume less than the recommended intake levels for total fat, total PUFA, α-linolenic acid (ALA) and DHA. Median breast-milk linoleic acid (8•5% weight) and ALA (0•2%) concentrations were among the lowest reported in the literature, in contrast with arachidonic acid (0•5%) and DHA (0•3%) concentrations, which were mid-range. Bangladeshi women in general, and especially those who practise prolonged breast-feeding, may benefit from increased consumption of food sources of PUFA.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1660-1670 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | British Journal of Nutrition |
Volume | 105 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 14 2011 |
Keywords
- Arachidonic acid
- Breast-feeding
- DHA
- PUFA
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Nutrition and Dietetics