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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #71317
Title: LOW MATERNAL BMI ALTERS MILK COMPOSITION, BUT NOT INFANT GROWTH

Author
item BARBOSA, L - HOSP PEDIATRIA CMN MEXICO
item VILLALPANDO, SALVADOR - HOSP PEDIATRIA CMN MEXICO
item Butte, Nancy
item Wong, William
item FONESCA, C - HOSP PEDIATRIA CMN MEXICO

Submitted to: Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: To test whether differences in maternal nutritional status affect milk production or composition, the lactation performance of 38 rural Mexican women grouped by postpartum body mass index (BMI) was evaluated at 3 and 6 mo postpartum. Milk output was measured by 24-h test-weighing. Energy, fat and protein concentrations were determined on a representative 24-h milk sample by standard techniques. At 15 days the mean +/- SD maternal postpartum BMI was 21.3 +/- 0.98 and 25.6 +/- 1.9 for the low and normal BMI groups, respectively. Milk output (793 +/- 161 g/d at 3 mo and 774 +/- 209 g/d at 6 mo) did not differ by maternal BMI. Protein concentration at 3 mo (p<0.05) and the energy and fat concentrations at 6 mo were significantly lower in the low BMI group (p<0.02). Milk output compensated for the lower, energy and fat concentrations (r=0.5; p=0.02) resulting in similar nutrient milk output between BMI groups. Although less sthan optimal, infant weight gain and length gain did not differ between BM groups at 3 or 6 mo. Infant characteristics were not correlated with alterations in milk composition, milk production rates compensated for lower nutrient concentrations.