This study determined fatty acid (FA) concentrations in maternal milk and investigated the association between omega-3 fatty acid levels and their maternal current dietary intake (based on three-day dietary records) and habitual dietary intake (based on intake frequency of food products). Tested material comprised 32 samples of human milk, coming from exclusively breastfeeding women during their first month of lactation. Milk fatty acids were analyzed as fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) by gas chromatography using a Hewlett-Packard 6890 gas chromatograph with MS detector 5972A. We did not observe any correlation between current dietary intake of omega-3 FAs and their concentrations in human milk. However, we observed that the habitual intake of fatty fish affected omega-3 FA concentrations in human milk. Kendall’s rank correlation coefficients were 0.25 (p = 0.049) for DHA, 0.27 (p = 0.03) for EPA, and 0.28 (p = 0.02) for ALA. Beef consumption was negatively correlated with DHA concentrations in human milk (r = −0.25; p = 0.046). These findings suggest that current omega-3 FA intake does not translate directly into their concentration in human milk. On the contrary, their habitual intake seems to markedly influence their milk concentration.

Introduction: Acrylamide (AA) is a “probably carcinogenic to humans” monomer that can form in heated starchy food and in tobacco smoke. N-Acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-L-cysteine (AAMA) and N-Acetyl-S-(2-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine (GAMA), acrylamide metabolites in urine, are recognized as good markers of exposure to acrylamide. Aim: The aim of the study is a preliminary assessment whether the levels of AAMA and GAMA in urine after childbirth are good markers of acrylamide exposure due to passive smoking during pregnancy. Material and method: The study group consisted 67 non-smokers and 10 passive-smoker women during pregnancy. AAMA and GAMA levels in urine samples were determined using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results: The median AAMA levels in urine of non-smoking and passively smoking women were 30.7 μg/g creatinine and 25.2 μg/g creatinine, respectively. Much lower values were determined for GAMA: 11.4 μg/g creatinine and 10.3 μg/g creatinine, respectively. There is no significant difference between AAMA and GAMA content in urine samples between both groups of women as well as in the anthropometric parameters of newborns between those two groups of mothers. Conclusion: Our pilot study did not confirm that postpartum AAMA and GAMA concentrations in urine are good markers of exposure to acrylamide from passive smoking during pregnancy. It is probably due to the different ways of acrylamide absorption from tobacco smoke by active and passive smokers. Exposure of pregnant women to acrylamide from passive smoking requires further research.

Trans fatty acids (TFAs) have been proven to have an adverse effect on human health by interfering with n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) synthesis. LC-PUFA n-3 are necessary for the development and maturation of the nervous system and retina during the prenatal period and infancy. TFAs are not synthesized de novo in the human body. Their presence in body fluids arises from the diet. The aim of our study was to determine the content of TFAs in individual meals and in a whole-day hospital diet intended for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Samples were collected from six different hospitals in Poland which voluntarily applied to the “Mum’s Diet” Pilot Program. The content of fatty acids, including TFAs, was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The TFAs content in the whole-day hospital diets ranged from 3.86 to 8.37% of all fatty acids (% wt/wt). Food products served for elevenses and afternoon snacks contributed the highest amounts of TFAs. These mainly included dairy products containing TFAs of natural origins. The estimated average intake of TFAs with the hospital diet was 0.72 g/person/day (range: 0.34–1.16 g/person/day) and did not exceed the maximum level of 1% of dietary energy recommended by the World Health Organization.