Factors influencing lactation performance in rural Gambian mothers.
Breast-milk consumption has been measured in a rural African community in which breast-feeding on demand is universally practised until the baby is 18 mos old. The mother's long-term capacity for breast-milk production is determined by the end of the second month of lactation, yield being closely correlated with the infant's birth-weight. Other factors significantly influencing output were parity, month of lactation, baby's weight-for-age, season, and maternal diet. Daily milk consumption was limited primarily by the amount delivered per feed, not the frequency of feeding.
D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011247:Pregnancy; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors