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Breast milk fat concentration and fatty acid pattern during the first six months in exclusively breastfeeding Greek women

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An Erratum to this article was published on 14 July 2016

Abstract

Purpose

To determine fat and fatty acid (FA) profile of Greek mother’s milk during the first 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and to examine their correlation with dietary and other maternal characteristics.

Methods

Milk samples and dietary records were obtained by mothers at 1st (n = 64), 3rd (n = 39), and 6th (n = 24) month postpartum. Fatty acid methylesters were separated and quantified by gas chromatography (GC/FID) and fat concentration by the creamatocrit method.

Results

At the 3 time points, milk fat concentration ranged between 26.3 and 30.2 g/l (p > 0.05). Milk’s FA composition was expressed as weight percentage (% wt/wt of all FAs detected with a C6 to C22 chain length). Maternal macronutrient and FA dietary intake, as well as the FAs’ profile in maternal milk, remained constant over the 6 months. Saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) represented approx. 46, 35, and 18 % of all FAs, while ω6 and ω3 PUFA were 17.4 and 0.8 %, respectively. Body weight gain during pregnancy was positively related to breast milk’s concentration in SFA (p < 0.01) and negatively to milk’s concentration in MUFA (p < 0.01). Age and parity were also independent factors affecting the FA profile in maternal milk. A strong positive effect was found during the first month postpartum, between mother’s PUFA intake and the concentration of PUFA, ω3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic and linoleic acid (LA) in the milk, while MUFA intake was strongly correlated with the concentration of PUFA, ω6 fatty acids, and LA.

Conclusion

This study is among few in literature to determine FA profile of breast milk in European populations and verified certain dietary factors that influence this profile. Maternal PUFA and MUFA intake were found to be important factors affecting breast milk’s FA profile.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. N. Kalogeropoulos is gratefully acknowledged for his valuable contribution in verifying the validity of our methodology.

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Author notes

  1. Angeliki Antonakou, Katerina P. Skenderi, Antonia Chiou, Constantinos A. Anastasiou & Antonia-Leda Matalas

    Present address: Department of the Science of Dietetics–Nutrition, Harokopio University of Athens, El. Benizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece

  2. Chryssa Bakoula

    Present address: 1st Department of Paediatrics, Children’s Hospital “Agia Sophia”, Medical School, University of Athens, Thivon & Papadiamantopoulou, 11527, Athens, Greece

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    1. Angeliki Antonakou
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    Correspondence to Angeliki Antonakou.

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    An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1260-7.

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    Antonakou, A., Skenderi, K.P., Chiou, A. et al. Breast milk fat concentration and fatty acid pattern during the first six months in exclusively breastfeeding Greek women. Eur J Nutr 52, 963–973 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0403-8

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