Biochemical Variations of Breast Milk Composition Compared with Substitution Formula in Feeding of Preterm of Mothers With or Without Pathologic Pregnancies

Abstract

Breast milk is the main source of energy and nutrients for preterm and term newborns. The aim of the study was to determine the biochemical differences between breast milk and substitution formula used in feeding of preterm newborns and differences in composition of breast milk according to mothers demographic and pregnancy parameters. A group of 54 mothers with pathologic pregnancies of preterm gestational age between 27-37 weeks was studied to determine the biochemical composition of breast milk in the first 7 days of lactation and then to compare it with milk formula substitution. Most of them (42%) had a diagnosis of chronic hypertension, followed by chronic renal diseases (29%). Several parameters like gestational age, maternal age, lactation day when sampling milk, type of birth (natural / C-section), origin of mother (rural / urban), gender of the child were analyzed. The biochemical analysis of macronutrients (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins) and energetic value of the collected breast milk was performed by using an indirect method, infrared spectroscopy (mid-infrared transmission spectroscopy) by means of an automatic device. Gestational age, mother�s age and day of lactation (during the first week post-partum) did not produce a statistically significant difference in the composition of breast milk. There were no statistically significant changes with the type of delivery (cesarean versus natural) and gender of the preterm newborn. Higher lipid, carbohydrates and protein concentration was observed in milk substitution formula than in breast milk. Energetic values of analyzed milk substitution formula showed a statistically significant difference (p [0.05) when compared with breast milk.