Infants with a congenital anomaly and the concentration of Mo, As, Mn, Zn and Cu in the mother's milk

Abstract

Thirty-one samples of mothers' milk were analysed by neutron activation analysis for the concentrations of Mo, As, Mn, Zn, Cu 1.5 to 3 months post-partum. Group I consisted of 6 mothers having infants with neonatal obstructive jaundice and exhibited lower mean values of Cu and Mn at 0.18 μg/g and 11.7 μg/g as compared with 16 control subjects with 0.34 μg/g Cu and 23.0 μg/g Mn; Mo levels were approximately twice as high (12.2 μg/g) as the control values (6.4 μg/g); Zn and As were grossly comparable. Group II consisted of 9 mothers who had delivered infants with either a congenital hydrocephalus ( n = 7) or meningomyelocoele ( n = 2), exhibited a mean Cu level of 0.27 μg/g, Zn 1.7 μg/g, Mn 25.3 μg/g and As 0.45 μg/g. These findings are discussed in the light of the patho-physiology of the congenital anomaly of the infant.