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Nutrition During Lactation (1991)

Chapter: C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk

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Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

Appendix C

Appendix C presents data from a complete literature survey of data on human milk composition conducted by Margaret C. Neville (University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, personal communication, 1990). References were included if they presented data for milk composition by actual duration of lactation, but the data vary in accuracy. Nutrients included are those analyzed by Dr. Neville and colleagues.

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

TABLE C-1 Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk. Data compiled by Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

 

Days Post Partum

Reference

Nutrient, Analytic Method

21

30

45

60

90

120

150

180

 

Lactose, mmol/liter

NRa

200

200

202

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hytten, 1954

NR

NR

225

NR

222

227

227

227

227

Prentice et al., 1983

''Agricultural method"

NR

199

NR

199

200

203

197

200

Nagra, 1989

Colorimetric

NR

223

NR

226

225

232

242

234

Brown et al., 1986

Enzymatic

156

137

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hibberd et al., 1982

Enzymatic, lactase by Somgyi

NR

206

NR

211

222

223

223

227

Dewey and Lönnerdal, 1983

β-galactosidase, then glucose

NR

205

193

213

234

205

208

213

Morriss et al., 19 86

Folin

NR

205

NR

211

225

222

222

222

Kader et al., 1972

Gas chromatography

210

202

196

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Hartmann and Kulski, 1978

NR

NR

NR

NR

225

NR

NR

206

Saint et al., 1986

HPLCb

NR

178

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Butte and Calloway, 1981

Method of Conetta on Technicon

NR

205

NR

NR

214

NR

223

NR

Lönnerdal et al., 1976

Technicon

NR

208

212

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Technicon

199

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1981

YSI analyzer

NR

189

NR

192

194

195

NR

NR

Butte et al., 1984

YSI analyzer

177

NR

182

NR

188

NR

NR

191

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

Protein, g/dl

NR

NR

1.30

NR

1.09

1.05

1.02

1.03

1.04

Prentice et al., 1983

"Agricultural method"

NR

1.05

NR

0.99

1.01

0.99

0.98

1.01

Nagra, 1989

BCAc assay with human milk standard

1.20

NR

1.09

NR

0.94

NR

NR

1.00

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

Biuret

NR

1.30

NR

1.00

1.00

1.30

0.95

0.90

Lauber and Reinhardt, 1979

Kjeldahl

1.23

0.97

0.93

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hytten, 1954

Kjeldahl

NR

0.73

NR

NR

0.76

NR

0.71

NR

Lönnerdal et al., 1976

Kjeldahl with TCAd precipitation

NR

1.52

1.42

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Kjeldahl with TCA precipitation

1.60

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1981

Kjeldahl with TCA precipitation

1.18

1.10

1.22

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Kjeldahl with TCA precipitation

NR

1.00

NR

0.89

0.84

0.82

NR

NR

Butte et al., 1984

Microkjeldahl

NR

1.03

NR

1.10

0.99

0.88

0.91

0.82

Kader et al., 1972

Lowry

1.51

1.50

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hibberd et al., 1982

Lowry with albumin standard

NR

1.44

NR

1.33

1.32

1.30

1.25

1.27

Dewey and Lönnerdal, 1983

Lowry

1.41

NR

1.10

NR

NR

0.85

NR

NR

Duncan et al., 1983

Lowry

NR

NR

NR

NR

1.09

NR

NR

1.21

Saint et al., 1986

Lipid, g/dl

NR

4.0

3.0

3.3

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hytten, 1954

"Agricultural method"

NR

3.6

NR

3.7

3.6

3.7

3.6

3.5

Nagra, 1989

Creamatocrit, Folch extraction

NR

4.2

NR

3.7

3.7

3.3

3.3

3.4

Prentice et al., 1983

Creamatocrit

NR

3.6

NR

NR

3.7

NR

3.2

NR

Jackson et al., 1988

Creamatocrit, Folch extraction

4.7

NR

5.3

NR

4.2

NR

NR

5.6

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

Modified Folch extraction

NR

4.1

NR

4.6

5.2

NR

NR

NR

Clark et al., 1982

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

 

Days Post Partum

Reference

Nutrient, Analytic Method

21

30

45

60

90

120

150

180

 

Gravimetric

NR

3.1

NR

3.0

2.8

2.7

2.6

2.7

Brown et al., 1986

Enzymatic analysis

3.9

4.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hibberd et al., 1982

Enzymatic for triglycerides (Worthington)

NR

4.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Butte and Calloway, 1981

Gravimetric

NR

2.7

NR

2.5

2.3

2.6

2.5

2.6

Lauber and Reinhardt, 1981

Gravimetric

NR

4.0

4.5

4.8

4.2

NR

NR

NR

Butte et al., 1984

Gravimetric

NR

3.6

NR

3.4

3.2

3.5

NR

NR

Butte et al., 1984

Roese-Gottlieb

NR

3.9

4.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Roese-Gottlieb

3.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1981

Sulfuric acid-vanillin

3.0

3.1

3.5

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Sulfuric acid-vanillin

NR

4.9

NR

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.4

4.3

Dewey and Lönnerdal, 1983

Sodium, mmol/liter

Ashed, flame emission

NR

10.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Atkinson et al., 1980

Dry-ash, atomic absorption

NR

6.8

6.1

5.4

6.2

NR

NR

NR

Butte et al., 1984

Special ashing, atomic absorption

NR

6.6

NR

NR

5.3

5.5

NR

NR

Picciano et al., 1981

Flame emission

NR

9.3

NR

10.9

7.6

7.2

6.8

5.5

Dewey and Lönnerdal, 1983

Flame photometry

NR

10.8

8.5

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Flame photometry

10.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1981

Flame photometry

6.8

7.0

7.1

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Flame photometry

7.3

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

4.8

NR

Morriss et al., 1986

Ion selective electrode

9.2

NR

7.2

NR

6.3

NR

NR

6.0

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

Potassium, mmol/liter

Atomic absorption

13.6

13.6

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hibberd et al., 1982

Dry-ash, atomic absorption

NR

15.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Atkinson et al., 1980

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

Special ashing, atomic absorption

NR

11.9

NR

10.9

10.4

NR

NR

NR

Picciano et al., 1981

Flame photometry

NR

15.8

15.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Flame photometry

14.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1981

Flame photometry

13.9

13.0

13.6

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Flame photometry

17.1

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

12.8

NR

Morriss et al., 1986

Flame emission photometry

NR

13.2

NR

12.0

11.8

11.6

11.5

10.8

Dewey and Lönnerdal, 1983

Ion selective electrode

16.2

NR

15.1

NR

13.9

NR

NR

13.9

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

Chloride, mmol/liter

Ashing, then chloride electrode

NR

12.0

NR

11.7

11.9

NR

NR

NR

Picciano et al., 1981

Colorimetric

NR

15.2

13.1

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Colorimetric

15.4

NR

13.9

NR

11.6

NR

14.0

NR

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

Electrometric titration

NR

12.0

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Atkinson et al., 1980

Electrometric titration

10.5

10.5

11.3

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Electrometric titration

11.8

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

10.5

NR

Morriss et al., 1986

Calcium, mmol/liter

"Agricultural method"

NR

7.50

NR

7.67

7.77

7.60

7.85

8.00

Nagra, 1989

Ashing, atomic absorption

NR

6.80

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Atkinson et al., 1980

Ashed, atomic absorption

6.63

6.20

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Dry ashing, atomic absorption

NR

NR

6.40

NR

NR

5.88

NR

NR

Vaughn et al., 1979

Dry ashing, atomic absorption

NR

6.33

6.65

6.43

6.48

NR

NR

NR

Butte et al., 1984

Atomic absorption

NR

7.24

NR

7.31

7.14

NR

NR

NR

Picciano et al., 1981

Atomic absorption

6.48

NR

6.85

NR

6.72

NR

NR

6.23

Greer et al., 1982

Atomic absorption

NR

6.50

NR

6.85

6.72

6.35

6.18

6.38

Dewey and Lönnerdal, 1983

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

 

Days Post Partum

Reference

Nutrient, Analytic Method

21

30

45

60

90

120

150

180

 

Atomic absorption

8.40

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

7.30

NR

Morriss et al., 1986

Dilution, atomic absorption

NR

6.43

NR

6.53

6.50

6.43

6.28

6.10

Karra et al., 1988

Colorimetric

6.95

6.65

7.82

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Colorimetric

7.66

NR

7.53

NR

7.49

NR

NR

6.30

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

Orthocresolpthalein

4.46

4.43

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hibberd et al., 1982

Magnesium, mmol/liter

"Agricultural method"

NR

1.04

NR

1.16

1.08

1.20

0.95

1.00

Nagra, 1989

Ashing, atomic absorption

NR

1.20

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Atkinson et al., 1980

Ashing, atomic absorption

1.20

1.04

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Gross et al., 1980

Dry ashing, atomic absorption

NR

1.49

1.66

1.74

1.74

NR

NR

NR

Butte et al., 1984

Atomic absorption

NR

1.15

NR

1.27

1.36

NR

NR

NR

Picciano et al., 1981

Atomic absorption

1.21

NR

1.23

NR

1.29

NR

NR

1.33

Greer et al., 1982

Atomic absorption

1.44

1.44

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Hibberd et al., 1982

Atomic absorption

1.15

1.17

1.51

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Lemons et al., 1982

Atomic absorption

NR

1.15

NR

1.34

1.39

1.46

1.40

1.41

Dewey and Lönnerdal, 1983

Atomic absorption

1.30

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

1.25

NR

Morriss et al., 1986

Dilution, atomic absorption

1.68

NR

NR

1.31

NR

NR

1.27

NR

Rajalakshmi and Srikantia, 1980

Dilution, atomic absorption

NR

1.18

NR

1.33

1.42

1.43

1.45

1.45

Karra et al., 1988

Colorimetric

1.63

NR

1.65

NR

1.77

NR

NR

1.63

Neville, University of Colorado, personal communication, 1990

a NR = Not reported.

b HPLC = High performance liquid chromatography.

c BCA = Bicinchoninic acid.

d TCA = Trichloroacetic acid.

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

REFERENCES

Atkinson, S.A., I.C. Radde, G.W. Chance, M.H. Bryan, and G.H. Anderson. 1980. Macro-mineral content of milk obtained during early lactation from mothers of premature infants. Early Hum. Dev. 4:5-14.


Brown, K.H., N.A. Akhtar, A.D. Robertson, and M.G. Ahmed. 1986. Lactational capacity of marginally nourished mothers: relationships between maternal nutritional status and quantity and proximate composition of milk. Pediatrics 78:909-919.

Butte, N.F., and D.H. Calloway. 1981. Evaluation of lactational performance of Navajo women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 34:2210-2215.

Butte, N.F., C. Garza, C.A. Johnson, E.O. Smith, and B.L. Nichols. 1984. Longitudinal changes in milk composition of mothers delivering preterm and term infants. Early Hum. Dev. 9:153-162.


Clark, R.M., A.M. Ferris, M. Fey, P.B. Brown, K.E. Hundreiser, and R.G. Jensen. 1982. Changes in the lipids of human milk from 2 to 16 weeks postpartum . J. Ped. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 1:311-315.


Dewey, K.G., and B. Lönnerdal. 1983. Milk and nutrient intake of breastfed infants from 1 to 6 months: Relation to growth and fatness. J. Ped. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 2:497-506.

Duncan, M.E., R.R. Samson, J. McGrath, and D.B. McClelland. 1983. Humoral defence factors in the breast milk of Ethiopian women with leprosy and healthy controls. Am. J. Clin Nutr. 38:921-928.


Greer, F.R., R.C. Tsang, R.S. Levin, J.E. Searcy, R. Wu, and J.J. Steichen. 1982. Increasing serum calcium and magnesium concentrations in breastfed infants: longitudinal studies of minerals in human milk and in sera of nursing mothers and their infants. J. Pediatr. 100:59-64.

Gross, S.J., R.J. David, L. Bauman, and R.M. Tomarelli. 1980. Nutritional composition of milk produced by mothers delivering preterm. J. Pediatr. 96:641-644.

Gross, S.J., J. Geller, and R.M. Tomarelli. 1981. Composition of breast milk from mothers of preterm infants. Pediatrics 68:490-493.


Hibberd, C.M., O.G. Brooke, N.D. Carter, M. Haug, and G. Harzer. 1982. Variations in the composition of breast milk during the first 5 weeks of lactation: implications for the feeding of preterm infants. Arch. Dis. Child. 57:658-662.

Hytten, F.E. 1954. Clinical and chemical studies in human lactation: IV. Trends in milk composition during course of lactation. Br. Med. J.:249-255.


Jackson, D.A., S.M. Imong, A. Silprasert, S. Preunglumpoo, P. Leelapat, Y. Yootabootr, Y. Amatayakul, and J.D. Baum. 1988. Estimation of 24 h breast-milk fat concentration and fat intake in rural northern Thailand. Br. J. Nutr. 59:365-371.


Kader, M.M., R. Bahgat, M.T. Aziz, F. Hefnawi, M.H. Badraoui, N. Younis, and F. Hassib. 1972. Lactation patterns in Egyptian women. II. Chemical composition of milk during the first year of lactation. J. Biosoc. Sci. 4:403-409.

Karra, M.V., A. Kirksey, O. Galal, N.S. Bassily, G.G. Harrison, and N.W. Jerome. 1988. Zinc, calcium and magnesium concentrations in milk from American and Egyptian women throughout the first 6 months of lactation. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 47:642-648.


Lauber, E., and M. Reinhardt. 1979. Studies on the quality of breast milk during 23 months of lactation in a rural community of the Ivory Coast. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 32:1159-1173.

Lemons, J.A., L. Moye, D. Hall, and M. Simmons. 1982. Differences in the composition of preterm and term human milk during early lactation. Pediatr. Nutr. 16:113-117.

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×

Lönnerdal, B., E. Forsum, and L. Hambraeus. 1976. Longitudinal study of the protein, nitrogen, and lactose contents of human milk from Swedish well-nourished mothers. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 29:1127-1133.

Morriss, F.H., Jr., E.D. Brewer, S.B. Spedale, L. Riddle, D.M. Temple, R.M. Caprioli, and M.S. West. 1986. Relationship of human milk pH during course of lactation to concentrations of citrate and fatty acids. Pediatrics 78:458-464.


Nagra, S.A. 1989. Longitudinal study in biochemical composition of human milk during the first year of lactation . J. Trop. Pediatr. 35:126-128.


Picciano, M.F., E.J. Calkins, J.R. Garrick, and R.H. Deering. 1981. Milk and mineral intakes of breastfed infants. Acta Paediatr. Scand. 70:189-194.

Prentice, A.M., S.B. Roberts, A. Prentice, A.A. Paul, M. Watkinson, A.A. Watkinson, and R.G. Whitehead. 1983. Dietary supplementation of lactating Gambian women. I. Effect on breast-milk volume and quality. Hum. Nutr.: Clin. Nutr. 37C:53-64.


Rajalakshmi, K., and S.G. Srikantia. 1980. Copper, zinc and magnesium content of breast milk of Indian women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 33:664-669.


Saint, L., P. Maggiore, and P.E. Hartmann. 1986. Yield and nutrient content of milk in eight women breastfeeding twins and one woman breastfeeding triplets. Br. J. Nutr. 56:49-58.


Vaughn, L.A., C.W. Weber, and S.R. Kemberling. 1979. Longitudinal changes in the mineral content of human milk. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 32:2301-2306.

Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
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Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
Page 280
Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
Page 281
Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
Page 282
Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
Page 283
Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
Page 284
Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
Page 285
Suggested Citation:"C Summary of Composition Data for Macronutrients of Human Milk." Institute of Medicine. 1991. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1577.
×
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On the basis of a comprehensive literature review and analysis, Nutrition During Lactation points out specific directions for needed research in understanding the relationship between the nutrition of healthy mothers and the outcomes of lactation. Of widest interest are the committee's clear-cut recommendations for mothers and health care providers.

The volume presents data on who among U.S. mothers is breastfeeding, a critical evaluation of methods for assessing the nutritional status of lactating women, and an analysis of how to relate the mother's nutrition to the volume and composition of the milk.

Available data on the links between a mother's nutrition and the nutrition and growth of her infant and current information on the risk of transmission through breastfeeding of allergic diseases, environmental toxins, and certain viruses (including the HIV virus) are included. Nutrition During Lactation also studies the effects of maternal cigarette smoking, drug use, and alcohol consumption.

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