Correlation of maternal dietary intake with breast milk composition and infant growth

Abstract

Background: Maternal dietary intake during the period of lactation has an impact on infants growth. Macronutrients in breast milk are affected by several factors such as maternal dietary intake and maternal nutritional status. This study aims to prove the association between maternal protein and fat intake with the composition of breast milk and growth of infants (age 0–6 months). Methods: Prospective study was conducted for 6 months in 41 mother-infant pairs who were exclusively breastfed, and visited to hospitals or health centres. The mothers age is <40 years old with normal and single pregnancy. The breast milk was collected and analyzed using Human Milk Analyzer. Results: There was a negative correlation between maternal protein intake and breast milk composition at 3 months old infants ( p = 0.042), between fat intake with HAZ score at 2 weeks ( p = 0.048), and between protein intake with HAZ score at 3 months ( p = 0.049). Finally, there was a significant increase in WAZ and HAZ score in all sample groups. Although the maternal protein intake of our subjects were only at 83% of Indonesian's RDA average, the protein composition of breast milk and the growth of the infants was sufficient. Conclusion: There is correlation between maternal dietary intake with the composition of breastmilk and infant growth. Even though the calories and protein intake of the mother is lower than the RDA, the breast milk is still sufficient for the growth of infants aged 0–6 months who are exclusively breastfed.