Differences in fat content and fatty acid proportions among colostrum, transitional, and mature milk from women delivering very preterm, preterm, and term infants

• Published in: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 116 - 123
• Main Authors: Moltó-Puigmartí, Carolina, Castellote, Ana Isabel, Carbonell-Estrany, Xavier, López-Sabater, M. Carmen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; alpha-Linolenic Acid - analysis; Analysis of Variance; Arachidonic Acid - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Feeding; Colostrum - chemistry; Conjugated linoleic acid; Creamatocrit; DHA; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Gestational Age; Human milk; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Lactation - metabolism; Linoleic Acids, Conjugated - analysis; Milk banking; Milk, Human - chemistry; Pregnancy; Preterm infants; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; medium-chain saturated fatty acids; Conjugated linoleic acid; Creamatocrit; SFAs; PT; MCSFAs; polyunsaturated fatty acids; preterm; FT; full term; long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; long-chain saturated fatty acids; MUFAs; docosahexaenoic acid; saturated fatty acids; VPT; LCSFAs; AA; arachidonic acid; Milk banking; LCPUFAs; VLBW; alpha-linolenic acid; linoleic acid; monounsaturated fatty acids; very preterm; eicosapentaenoic acid; very-low birth weight; LA; ALA; Preterm infants; EPA; Human milk; CLA; DHA; PUFAs; Human; Prematurity; Lipids; Female; Metabolic diseases; Fat content; Colostrum; Woman; Fatty acids; Comparative study; Milk
• ISSN: 0261-5614; 1532-1983
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2010.07.013

Summary Background & aims 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.