Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in US donor human milk: meeting the needs of premature infants?
OBJECTIVE
To determine fatty acid levels in the US donor milk supply.


METHODS
Donor human milk samples from Iowa (n=62), Texas (n=5), North Carolina (n=5) and California (n=5) were analyzed by gas chromatography. Levels in the Iowa donor milk were compared before and after pasteurization using Student's t-test. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) levels were compared among all milk banks using analysis of variance.


RESULTS
ARA (0.4 pre, 0.4 post, P=0.18) and DHA (0.073 pre, 0.073 post, P=0.84) were not affected by pasteurization. DHA varied between banks (P<0.0001), whereas ARA did not (P=0.3). DHA levels from all banks were lower than published values for maternal milk and infant formula (P<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Pasteurization of breastmilk does not affect DHA or ARA levels. However, DHA content in US donor milk varies with bank location and may not meet the recommended provision for preterm infants.
University of Iowa Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, USA. michelle-baack@uiowa.edu
M L
ML
Baack
A W
AW
Norris
J
J
Yao
T
T
Colaizy
D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis*; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry*; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D061352:Pasteurization; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014481:United States
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated