Abstract
BackgroundIt is known that the fat content of breast milk is higher in hindmilk than in foremilk. However, it has not been determined if this increased fat content results from an increase in the number of milk fat globules (MFGs), an increase in the size of MFGs, or both. This study aims to determine which factor plays the most important role.MethodsThirteen breastfeeding mothers were enrolled in the study and we obtained 52 samples from 26 breasts before (foremilk) and after (hindmilk) a breastfeeding session. The fat content was evaluated by creamatocrit (CrCt) values. MFG size was measured with the laser light scattering method. We compared CrCt values and MFG size between foremilk and hindmilk.ResultsAlthough the CrCt values were higher in the hindmilk (8.6 ± 3.6%) than in the foremilk (3.7 ± 1.7%), the MFG size did not change (4.2 ± 1.0 μm and 4.6 ± 2.1 μm, foremilk and hindmilk, respectively). There was no relationship between the changes in CrCt versus MFG size from foremilk to hindmilk.ConclusionThe results indicate that the increase in fat content results mainly from the increased number of MFGs, which may be released into the milk flow as the mammary lobe becomes progressively emptied.
Highlights
It is known that the fat content of breast milk is higher in hindmilk than in foremilk
Sample size considerations We assumed that the mean milk fat globules (MFGs) size is 4 ± 1 μm and determined the statistical power as 0.9
If we assume that the 50% increase in CrCt results from the change in the size of MFGs, the MFG size is expected to be
Summary
It is known that the fat content of breast milk is higher in hindmilk than in foremilk. It has not been determined if this increased fat content results from an increase in the number of milk fat globules (MFGs), an increase in the size of MFGs, or both. Fat is one of the most important nutrients for neonates as it comprises approximately 55% of the total energy of milk. It is well known that the fat content increases from the beginning to the end of a feed, resulting in an increase in the total calories of hindmilk. Et al determined that most of the variation in milk fat content within women results from the degree of breast fullness [1]. Hytten suggested that the increase is a result of fat globules (page number not for citation purposes)
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