Association of Iron, Zinc, and Vitamin a Maternal Plasma Levels with Breast Milk Composition in Rural Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Objectives: Nutritional status of mothers in Ethiopia is currently a major public health concern. There are three key factors of maternal nutrition that could have an impact on human milk composition: Dietary intake, nutrient store, and alterations in nutrient utilization. The aim of this study is to assess the association between maternal plasma status and breast milk content of iron, zinc and vitamin A. Methods: Community-based cross sectional data were collected from April to May 2012 from mothers living in the Boricha district of southern Ethiopia who were lactating and had infants between 6-12 months. Plasma levels and breast milk composition of iron, zinc, and retinol were assessed using HPLC, and AAS. Pearson’s correlations were performed to identify any associations betweenplasma levelsandbreast milk content of these micronutrients. Results: The prevalence of anemia (Hb< 120 g/L), zinc deficiency (plasma zinc < 0.7 mg/L), and vitamin A deficiency (plasma retinol ≤ 30 μg/dL) was 36%, 100% and 7.3%, respectively. Breast milk iron (0.24±0.1 mg/L) and breast milk zinc (0.08±0.06 mg/L) showed no relationship to plasma levels. The breast milk retinol (128.6±22.0 μg/L) showed a significant association with plasma retinollevels (r=0.22, p<0.05). Conclusions: Maternal micronutrient malnutrition is a serious problem in the Boricha district. Our results support other studies that demonstrate low vitamin A status reduces levels in milk. This can have detrimental effects on children whose complementary food intake may be of poor nutritional quality.