Effect of Folate Supplementation and Malaria on the Folate Content of Human Milk

Abstract

The concentration of folate in human milk was estimated in two groups of lactating mothers. The first group had no folate supplementation throughout pregnancy and the other group had 5 mg folate/day throughout the last trimester. Concentration of folate was significantly higher in the milk of mothers who had supplementation. There was a significant increase in folate concentration as the milk progressed to maturity. When malaria was present, there was no significant increase in the concentration of folate in the milk. Human milk is low in folate, and a rise in body temperature seems to disturb folate metabolism.

A Rapid Chemiluminescence Assay for Measurement of Folate in Small Volumes of Breast Milk

“…In contrast, to our knowledge our study is the first to measure folate in more than 500 breast milk clinical study samples at different time points in subjects in continental Europe, more specifically Germany, where mandatory folic acid food fortification is not implemented. In fact, our values are closer to those reported in an earlier study in Nigeria in the absence of food fortification [16]. With the exception of this older study, our study may well be the only recent report determining breast milk folate in countries without mandatory folate fortification, also indicating that in its absence breast milk levels might be on the lower range.…”

Folate Supplementation During Lactation

“…(7) found no changes in total folates in foremilk during lactation from 3 to 25 weeks after parturition; however, the fact that the sample collection procedure was of a cross-sectional nature rather than longitudinal, along with the fact that samples were collected at only one time of day, may have masked any actual increase. Our results agree with several other reports (16,(19)(20)(21) of increases in the folate content of human milk from both supplemented and unsupplemented mothers. Butte and Calloway (16) found an increase in the total folate content of human milk from I to 3 months post parturn, and Ramasastri (20) and Osifo and Onifade (19) found a significant increase in human milk folate concentration during the Ist week of lactation.…”

“…Our results also show that infants consuming human milk from folate-supplemented mothers not only have blood folate concentrations above or similar to those of normal adults, but also similar to those of human milk-fed infants of un supplemented mothers (7,17). This similarity is not surprising, since the supply of folate via human milk has been shown to be depressed only when lactating mothers are severely folate deficient (18), or when folate supplements are not taken during both pregnancy and lactation (19). Therefore, low blood folate levels in human milk-fed infants would not be expected unless overt maternal folate deficiency was evident.…”

Food taboos, malaria and dietary change: Infant feeding and cultural adaptation on a Papua New Guinea island†

“…Although breastmilk volume and composition have often been found to be "surprisingly good" in poorly nourished mothers (Jelliffe and Jelliffe, 1978, p. 80;Boediman et al, 1979), poor maternal nutrition may reduce the quantity of breastmilk and its protein, fat and caloric concentration (Bailey, 1965;Jelliffe and Jelliffe, 1978), and it may lower values of water-soluble vitamins, Vitamin A and calcium (Jelliffe and Jelliffe, 1978;Osifo and Onifade, 1980). Dietary changes on Vanatinai may have also reduced the variety of weaning foods offered to children between about six months and three years of age and thus the range of nutrients in the child's diet (cf.…”