Abstract
Introduction: Human milk is the ideal food for infants. Omega-3 fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and micronutrients content, such as zinc and iron, depend on the nutritional status and mother’s adequate diet, especially in developing countries.
Objetive: To describe the micronutrient composition in human milk of women receiving care at a public hospital and to determine its adequacy according to infant recommendations.
Materials and Methods: We performed an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. We analyzed milk samples from adult mothers, with exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), attending at IDIP´s Health Observatory, between 90-180 days postpartum, from November 2022 to 2023. Sociodemographic data were collected. Milk’s content of vitamin A was determined by liquid chromatography, docosahexaenoic acid by gas chromatography, and iron and zinc by atomic absorption. Nutrient concentrations were compared with the adequate intake (AI) levels recommended for infants by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Protocol was approved by the Institutional Research Review Board.
Results: A total of 45 milk samples, from women with EBF, were analyzed.
The maternal mean age was 27.5 ± 6.0 years. Fifty-six percent had unsatisfied basic needs. Milk fat content was 23 (13-37) g/100 mL. The micronutrients concentrations were: vitamin A 220 (110-410) µg/L; zinc 0.81 (0.38-1.08) mg/L; iron 0.32 (0.23-0.51) mg/L and DHA 0.16 (0.13-0.19) %. The mean concentrations of all nutrients cover less than 45% of the adequate intake (AI).
Conclusion: Human milk is the best reference for infant feeding; however, in our study, milk concentrations of vitamin A, zinc, iron, and DHA were insufficient to meet the IOM recommendations.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Silvana Visentin, Liliana Disalvo, Natalia Matamoros, Ana Varea, Carla Casado, María Victoria Fasano, María Florencia Andreoli, Lucrecia Fotia Perniciaro , Agustina Malpeli, Ignacio Méndez