Dose to the Mother Method: Milk Intake and Vitamin A Transfer to the Lactating Infant of Mexican Mothers, Using Stable Isotopes

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess the breast milk intake and transfer of vitamin A (VA) from the mother to the breastfed child in lactating Mexican women from rural and urban areas.MethodsMilk intake was assessed with the dose to the mother method, briefly deuterated water is administered to the mother and the appearance of the isotope is measured in the breastfed child's and mother's saliva; deuterium enrichment (stable isotope) is analyzed by FTIR. Breast milk retinol (BMR) concentration was determined by HPLC and the cutoff to define VA deficiency was 1.05 µmol/L.ResultsSubjects were 27 and 32 women‐child pairs from urban and rural areas of northwest Mexico, respectively. Mean breast milk intake 727.35 ± 224 mL and it was significantly lower in children from the rural area (P=0.04). Mean BMR concentration was 1.11 μmol/L and 53% of women had VAD. BMR concentration was lower for the rural area (P=0.038). By combining both determinations (DTM and BMR), results showed that breastfed children from the rural and urban area reached only 47% and 64% of their VA recommended dietary intake (P=0.051), respectively.ConclusionVAD is still a public health problem in Mexico and requires new approaches to fight it effectively.Study supported by Universidad de Sonora.