title: Changes in human milk vitamin E and total lipids during the first twelve days of lactation.
abstract: Our previous study showed vitamin E deficiency in newborns (69.7%) and mothers at term (85.9%) when the ratio between serum vitamin E in mg/dl and total lipids in g/dl was used as an indicator of vitamin E status. This study was conducted to determine the human milk content of vitamin E. During the first 12 days of lactation milk vitamin E levels remained almost constant (day 1, 0.68 mg/dl; day 12, 0.65 mg/dl), milk total lipid levels increased daily (day 1, 1.11 g/dl; day 12, 3.60 g/dl), and the ratio between milk vitamin E and total lipids dropped steadily (day 1, 1.3; day 12, 0.2). In spite of this drop in vitamin E status, it is unlikely that vitamin E availability will be affected in neonates, because normal neonates absorb milk fats well and this ability increases with age.
mesh_terms: D003201:Computers; D005006:Ethnicity; D005223:Fats / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation; D008296:Malaysia; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005223:Fats; D014810:Vitamin E