Maternal Nutrition Status and Human Milk Composition of DHA and AA Fatty Acids in Breastfeeding Honduran Women

Abstract

Dietary habits and maternal nutrition status are the most important modifiable factors that will determine the concentration of certain essential components and nutrients in Breast Milk (BM).The objectives were to estimate the nutritional status of Breastfeeding (BF) women in rural Honduras, identifying the main food sources that contribute to the consumption of EFA and its content in BM. The Honduran study was part of an international study with a sample (n=25) with children between 26 and 64 days of age. The consumption of food sources of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) was evaluated with a frequency questionnaire. BMcomposition was analyzed using the dry drop method with Guthrie cards. 56% of mothers provided exclusive BF, 27% of mothers were overweightand 68% had excess body fat. The average monthly consumptionof marine foods was 1.44, 0.60 and 0.68 servings of fish, sardines and tuna, respectively. The average consumption of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Arachidonic Acid (AA) was 0.05 g / day. The content of DHA, EPA and AA fatty acids in BM was 0.14, 0.01 and 0.4% respectively. The amount of DHA and AA in the BF women is well below the median values of a global reference distribution.