title: Zinc concentration of breast milk and its diurnal variation in Bangladeshi mothers.
abstract: Little is known about the zinc content of breast milk in developing countries. Zinc content in breast milk was analyzed in 34 mothers of low socio-economic status; 17 were primiparae and 17 multiparae. Women in their 6th to 36th week of lactation provided 3 samples of breast milk at different times within a single day. The mean zinc concentration in breast milk (micrograms/ml) was 1.89 +/- 0.64 with a range from 0.17 to 4.38 micrograms/ ml. Zinc content in the morning, midday and evening samples were 2.1 +/- 0.84, 1.74 +/- 0.53, 1.84 +/- 0.69 respectively. There was significant variation between morning and midday samples (p = 0.038). Maternal age, parity, nutritional status or age of the child did not affect the zinc content of milk in the population studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Medicine, Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Z U
authors.initials: ZU
authors.lastname: Sikder
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wahed
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jahan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001459:Bangladesh; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007774:Lactation; D008423:Maternal Age; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010298:Parity; D011203:Poverty; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc