title: The levels of zinc in breast milk of urban African women in Zimbabwe.
abstract: Two hundred and eighty milk samples expressed by healthy African women who had pre-term or full-term delivery, were digested using the wet digestion method. The digests were analysed for zinc (Zn) using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Mean Zn level in colostrum was 8.2 +/- 1.02 micrograms/ml in transitional milk 4.33 +/- 0.134 micrograms/ml and in mature milk 0.38 +/- 0.03 micrograms/ml. The ranges were 1.4-21.7, 0.3-9.8 and 0.2-2.4 micrograms/ml in colostrum, transitional and mature milk respectively. The figures obtained agreed with some previous findings in which it was found that Zn levels decreased with progression in lactation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Zimbabwe, Harare.
authors.forename: N Z
authors.initials: NZ
authors.lastname: Nyazema
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mahomva
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Andifasi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003126:Colostrum / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000032:analysis*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014505:Urban Population; D015030:Zimbabwe; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D015032:Zinc