Differences in fat content and fatty acid proportions among colostrum, transitional, and mature milk from women delivering very preterm, preterm, and term infants.
OBJECTIVE
Human milk composition changes according to gestational age and stage of lactation, but infants fed banked human milk often receive pooled milk. We studied the changes in fat content and fatty acid proportions throughout lactation in very preterm, preterm, and full term milk, and the differences among gestational age groups.


METHODS
Samples from women delivering before 30 (n = 10), between 30 and 37 (n = 10), and between 38 and 42 (n = 23) weeks of gestation were analyzed.


RESULTS
Fat content was higher in very preterm than in preterm and full term samples (p < 0.05). Medium-chain saturated fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid, and rumenic acid proportions increased (p < 0.05) during lactation, while those of most long-chain saturated fatty acids and most long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from the n-3 and n-6 families decreased (p < 0.05). In colostrum and transitional milk, medium-chain saturated fatty acid proportions were highest in the very preterm group, and decreased with gestational age (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The differences in fat and fatty acids of human milk obtained at different gestational ages and stages of lactation may impact preterm infants' health. Therefore they could be taken into account when feeding newborns banked human milk and when designing infant formulas or human milk fortifiers.
Moltó-Puigmartí
Carolina
C
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona. Avda. Joan XXIII s/n CE-08028, Barcelona, Spain. carolinamolto@ub.edu
Castellote
Ana Isabel
AI
Carbonell-Estrany
Xavier
X
López-Sabater
M Carmen
MC
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D044243:Linoleic Acids, Conjugated / Q000032:analysis*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000032:analysis*
D044243:Linoleic Acids, Conjugated; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D016718:Arachidonic Acid