Skip to main content
NUTRITION 2024 Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Back

Vitamins and Minerals (Poster Session)

(P17-011-24) Human Milk Macro- and Trace Elements in Bangladesh and Their Response to Acute Maternal Supplementation

Sunday, June 30, 2024
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 348
Disclosure(s):
Daniela Hampel, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Adequate concentrations of macro- and trace-elements in human milk (HM) as co-factors for enzyme regulation, are vital for healthy development of exclusively breastfed (EBF) infants. Our aim was to a) examine the effects of acute maternal supplementation on HM macro- and trace-elements concentrations; b) compare the milk concentrations to the current Adequate Intakes (AIs) for infants (0-6mo); c) assess the prevalence of mastitis by HM Na:K-ratios.

Methods: HM samples (full breast expression, n = 59) collected around midday from apparently healthy Bangladeshi mothers (2-4 mo postpartum) on 3 consecutive days (day 1: baseline, n = 17; day 2: 1 x multiple micronutrient supplement during breakfast (MMS, n = 21); day 3: (2 x MMS, n = 21) were analyzed for Na, K, Mg, P, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Cr, Mn, and Mo using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Results: MMS increased milk P, Ca, and Zn on day 2 vs. day 1 (p < 0.04), with no difference between days 2 and 3. Mg increased at day 3 vs. day 1 (p=0.036). No effects were found for the remaining elements. On day 1, 82-100% of the samples had concentrations below thew AI for Na, Mg, Zn, and Se, while for K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Mn this was the true for only 5.9-23.5%. All samples reached or exceeded AI for P, Cr, and Mo. MMS reduced the number of samples below AI for Zn from 82.4 (day 1) to 61.9% (day 3). Na:K-ratios for all samples ranged from 0.21 to 0.54; hence no ratio was above the cut-off (0.6) mastitis indicator.

Conclusions: MMS increased concentrations for some macro- and trace-elements during short-term exposure indicating they may be responding to short-term supplementation which in turn could support the EBF-infant. The high prevalence of low concentrations for some elements may pose a risk for adequate infant nutrient supply.

Funding Sources: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [OPP1148405/INV-002300, OPP1061055]; USDA intramural funds [2023-51530-025-00D]