Trace elements in human milk: Correlation with blood levels, inter-element correlations and changes in concentration during the first month of lactation

Abstract

Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) based analytical procedures, the concentration of several trace elements (Mn, As, Pb, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Se) was determined in human milk samples collected from a group of healthy lactating Portuguese women ( n=44), both on the 2nd day postpartum (i.e., colostrum; n=34) and at 1 month postpartum (i.e., mature milk; n=19). Blood samples ( n=44), collected on the 2nd day after parturition, were also analyzed for the same trace elements. No major correlations were observed between the levels of the analyzed trace elements in blood and colostrum samples. All the studied elements, except for Co, Pb and Ni, showed a significant trend for a decrease in concentration in milk during the first month of lactation. This trend was more pronounced for Zn and Se, whose levels decreased to approximately 23% and 44% of their initial mean concentration, respectively. With the exception of Co ( r=0.607) and Zn ( r=0.487), no significant correlations were observed when comparing the levels of each trace element between samples of colostrum and mature milk. Several inter-element correlations were found within each type of milk sample. The most significant were: (i) Se vs Cu ( r=0.828) and Se vs Co ( r=0.605) in colostrum samples and (ii) Ni vs Pb ( r=0.756), Ni vs Mn ( r=0.743) and Se vs Co ( r=0.714) in mature milk samples. An inverse correlation between Zn and Se was also found in both types of milk sample; however, it only reached statistical significance for mature milk ( r=−0.624).