Nutrition During Lactation

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TABLE 6-1 Estimates of the Concentrations of Nutrients in Mature Human Milk

Nutrient	Amount in Human Milk^a	Nutrient	Amount in Human Milk^a
	g/liter ± SD^bb		µg/liter ± SD
Lactose	72.0 ± 2.5	Vitamin A, RE^d	670 ± 200
Protein	10.5 ± 2.0		(2,230 IU^e)
Fat	39.0 ± 4.0	Vitamin D	0.55 ± 0.10
	mg/liter ± SD	Vitamin K	2.1 ± 0.1
Calcium	280 ± 26	Folate	85 ± 37^f
Phosphorus	140 ± 22	Vitamin B₁₂	0.97^g^,^h
Magnesium	35 ± 2	Biotin	4 ± 1
Sodium	180 ± 40	Iodine	110 ± 40
Potassium	525 ± 35	Selenium	20 ± 5
Chloride	420 ± 60	Manganese	6 ± 2
Iron	0.3 ± 0.1	Fluoride	16 ± 5
Zinc	1.2 ± 0.2	Chromium	50 ± 5
Copper	0.25 ± 0.03	Molybdenum	NRⁱ
Vitamin E	2.3 ± 1.0
Vitamin C	40 ± 10
Thiamin	0.210 ± 0.035
Riboflavin	0.350 ± 0.025
Niacin	1.500 ± 0.200
Vitamin B₆	93 ± 8^c
Pantothenic acid	1.800 ± 0.200
^a Data taken from the Committee on Nutrition (1985), unless otherwise indicated. The values are representative of amounts of nutrients present in human milk; some of them may differ slightly from those reported by investigators cited in the text. ^b SD = Standard deviation. ^c From Styslinger and Kirksey (1985), a study of unsupplemented women. ^d RE = Retinol equivalents. ^e IU = International units. ^f From Brown et al. (1986a). ^g From Sandberg et al. (1981). ^h Standard deviation not reported; range 0.33 to 3.20. ⁱ NR = Not reported.

Variation with Length of Gestation

There are substantial differences between the milk of mothers who deliver preterm and those who deliver at full term. The subcommittee has focused on lactating mothers of full-term infants; therefore, these differences are only briefly summarized here. During the first 3 to 4 days of lactation, preterm milk (the milk secreted by mothers who delivered prematurely) has higher protein, sodium, and chloride concentrations and lower lactose concentrations than milk secreted by mothers of full-term infants. While some investigators report higher fat concentrations in preterm milk (Anderson et al., 1981; Guerrini et al., 1981),

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