Influence of prematurity and birth weight on the concentration of α-tocopherol in colostrum milk.
OBJECTIVE
To assess vitamin E levels in the breast milk, analyzing the prematurity and the birth weight influence in α-tocopherol concentration of colostrum milk.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study, in which the colostrum was collected from 93 nursing mothers in a public maternity of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil. The newborns were classified based on gestational age and birth weight. The analysis of α-tocopherol in the milk was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography.


RESULTS
The α-tocopherol concentration in the colostrum of lactating women whose children were born at term was 1,093.6±532.4µg/dL; for preterm infants, the concentration was 1,321.6±708.5µg/dL (p=0.109). In the preterm group, the α-tocopherol concentration in the colostrum of lactating women whose children were born with low and normal birth weight was 1,316.0±790.7 and 1,327.2±655.0µg/dL, respectively (p=0.971). In the term group, the α-tocopherol levels were higher in mothers of children with birth weight >4000g, being 1,821.0±575.4µg/dL, compared to 869.5±532.1µg/dL and 1,039.6±477.5µg/dL with low and adequate birth weight, respectively (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Prematurity did not influence α-tocopherol levels in the colostrum milk. Mothers who had macrossomic term neonates presented increased α-tocopherol levels. These results indicate that birth weight can influence α-tocopherol leves in the colostrum milk.
UFRN, NatalRN, Brasil.
Evellyn Câmara
EC
Grilo
UFRN, NatalRN, Brasil.
Larissa Queiroz de
LQ
Lira
UFRN, NatalRN, Brasil.
Roberto
R
Dimenstein
UFRN, NatalRN, Brasil.
Karla Danielly da S
KD
Ribeiro
D001724:Birth Weight; D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D047928:Premature Birth; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis*
D024502:alpha-Tocopherol