Analysis of breast milk fatty acid composition using dried milk samples

Area of Science:

• Nutritional biochemistry
• Infant health research
• Biomarker analysis

Background:

• Breast milk fatty acid (FA) composition, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), impacts infant health, but research is limited by sample collection challenges.
• Current methods for analyzing FA in breast milk are hindered by difficulties in sample collection, storage, and transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a dried milk spot (DMS) system for accurate measurement of breast milk FA composition.
• To assess the stability and reliability of FA measurements using DMS under various conditions.

Main Methods:

• Breast milk samples from US and Malawian women were used to compare FA analysis between liquid and DMS formats.
• Gas chromatography was employed to measure FA, with a focus on DHA and industrially produced trans FA (iTFA).
• DMS sample stability was evaluated under different storage temperatures, and inter-laboratory reproducibility was assessed.

Main Results:

• Strong correlations (R²=0.99) were observed between liquid and DMS samples for both % DHA and % iTFA.
• % DHA in DMS samples remained stable for up to four weeks at room temperature and three years at -80°C.
• All FA measurements were within 15% of the referent values when analyzed across two laboratories, demonstrating high reliability.

Conclusions:

• The validated DMS system offers a robust and reliable method for collecting and transporting breast milk samples for FA analysis.
• This system facilitates large-scale studies investigating the crucial role of milk FA composition in infant development and health outcomes.