Impact of Maternal Nutrition on Human Milk Macronutrients Among Thai Mothers of Premature Infants.
Sukanya Kankaew, Carrie-Ellen Briere, Joohyun Chung and 1 others
PMID 40679932WHAT IT FOUND
For Thai mothers of preterm infants, higher carbohydrate and fat intake predicted richer milk fat and energy.
More frequent meat eating predicted higher milk carbohydrate. Milk protein dropped significantly from the first two weeks to weeks three and four.
Key findings
01Maternal daily carbohydrate and fat intake, along with frequent cereal and starchy root consumption, were positively associated with human milk fat levels, while frequent dessert consumption was negatively associated.
02Human milk protein concentrations decreased significantly from the colostrum/transitional stage (1-2 weeks) to the mature milk stage (3-4 weeks), while carbohydrate levels increased.
03Maternal BMI during the first month of lactation showed no significant association with any human milk macronutrient component.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was limited to Thai mothers of preterm infants, so results may not generalize to other populations. Dietary data relied on self-reporting via 24-hour recalls, which is subject to bias. Maternal supplement intake was not collected or analyzed, though it can influence milk composition. The study only covered the first month of lactation. Milk samples were collected during a specific time window (7:00-11:00 am) and from a single breast, which may not reflect the full day's milk composition.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that maternal BMI is a reliable indicator of milk quality for these patients, as the study found no significant association between BMI and milk macronutrients. Additionally, the observed decline in milk protein is a natural physiological change during the first month, not necessarily a sign of poor maternal nutrition.