Positive relationship between consumption of specific fish type andn-3 PUFA in milk of Hong Kong lactating mothers

Abstract

Residents of Hong Kong have undergone a dietary transition from a traditional Chinese diet that is high in seafood to a more Western diet. This may have affected the nutritional composition of breast milk of Hong Kong mothers. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the dietary pattern and the fatty acid profile of the breast milk of lactating women in Hong Kong. Seventy-three volunteering healthy Hong Kong lactating mothers participated in the study. Their dietary intakes were assessed by using a 3-d dietary record and FFQ. The mean n-3 fatty acid levels were approximately 0·4 % (EPA) and 0·9 % (DHA) of total fatty acids in the breast milk of lactating mothers who had exclusively breastfed their infants aged 2–6 months. Maternal dietary intakes of n-3 fatty acids were positively associated with their levels in the breast milk. The levels of maternal intakes of freshwater and saltwater fish, especially the consumption of salmon, croaker and mandarin, were significantly correlated with the content of DHA in breast milk. The present study is among the very few in the literature to determine the fatty acid profile of breast milk in Hong Kong populations and verify certain dietary factors that influence this profile. High levels of n-3 PUFA, especially DHA, were observed in the breast milk of Hong Kong lactating women. The findings may serve as a dietary reference for lactating mothers to optimise the fatty acid profile of their breast milk.

Carotenoids and Vitamin A in Breastmilk of Hong Kong Lactating Mothers and Their Relationships with Maternal Diet

“…The modern Hong Kong diet is characterized as high consumption of red meat, refined grains, and foods high in sugar, with limited consumption of fruit and vegetables [ 13 ]. It was found in the present study that Hong Kong lactating women had a daily intake of fruit and vegetables ( Table 2 , 100.4, 177.9 g/day, respectively) below the dietary recommendation for Hong Kong population (3.0, 4.0–5.0 servings/day (i.e., 240, 320–400 g/day), respectively) [ 17 ].…”

“…The optimum sample size of the current study was estimated based on a previous study [ 14 ], which had measured the breastmilk carotenoid contents of 178 Guangzhou lactating mothers (280.7 ± 50.7 nmol/L, estimated Mean ± SD) and had enrolled the most similar subjects to our study in terms of ethnicity, geography, and culture. Cochran’s formula was then applied to the above data to calculate the optimal sample size as illustrated by Wong et al [ 13 ]: , where n is the estimated sample size, S is the standard deviation, Z is the confidence level (95% confidence = 1.96), and E is the range of possible random error. Suppose that the possible random error ( E ) was 4–5% of the mean value, the optimal sample size ( n ) was estimated as …”

“…The daily intakes of energy and selected nutrients were assessed using 3-day dietary records, which were collected as described in a previous published study [ 13 ]. The 3-day dietary records were noted for three consecutive days prior to the breastmilk sample collection date.…”

“…Hong Kong people generally adopt a westernized diet with high consumption of red meat, refined grains, or foods high in sugar and inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables according to governmental dietary guidelines. It was reported from a recent study [ 13 ] conducted among 73 local lactating mothers that their daily fruit and vegetable intakes (68.3 and 119.3 g, respectively) could only attain about one third of the suggested value from the Department of Health in Hong Kong. Low intake of fruit and vegetables could affect carotenoid and vitamin A levels in breastmilk, which might hinder child development.…”

Investigation of Maternal Diet and FADS1 Polymorphism Associated with Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Compositions in Human Milk

“…Fatty fish are a source of n-3LCPUFA such as EPA and DHA and are also rich in ARA. Significant positive correlations between fish intake and n-3LCPUFA composition in human milk were reported in observational studies in areas with both high fish intake [ 8 ] and low fish intake [ 9 , 10 ]. In another observational study of lactating women in the Philippines, it was reported that there was a quantitative response relationship between the weekly fish intake frequency of mothers and the DHA content in human milk [ 11 ].…”