Breastmilk yields and its composition during the first 6 months of lactation were measured in 46 women with low weight-for-height during the third trimester of pregnancy (WH minus group) and in 52 mothers with good weight-for-height in the same period (WH plus group). On average WH minus mothers produced 695 g per 24 hours and WH plus mothers 790 g. In the WH minus group yield was affected by feeding frequency, season, mother's energy intake during lactation and infant's weight-for-age. In the WH plus group feeding frequence, parity and sex were the affecting variables (male infants consumed more milk). The difference in yield between WH minus and WH plus mothers corrected for feeding frequency, sex and season was significant but was only 80 g per 24 hours. Protein and lactose concentrations in milk were in both groups comparable with that of British mothers, fat concentrations were lower.
Breast-milk output was measured in women who during the last trimester of pregnancy consumed a high- or low-energy supplement (53 and 55 women, respectively). Infant and mother pairs were enrolled at 2 or 6 wk postpartum. Test weighings were done four times at 8-wk intervals. Mean breast-milk output ranged from 682 to 744 g/d in the age period of 2 wk to 7 mo. There was no difference in milk output between the two experimental groups. In all cohorts, breast-feeding frequency influenced milk output positively. Only at age 18-22 wk did the mothers' prepregnancy or 4-wk postpartum body mass index play an additional role. The results confirm that breast-milk output of mildly undernourished women is comparable with that of well-nourished women. Short-term energy supplementation during pregnancy did not increase breast-milk output, probably because the sample studied was not at nutritional risk.
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