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Human Milk Sampling Protocols Affect Estimation of Infant Lipid Intake.
Alexandra D George1, Melvin C L Gay1, Kevin Murray2
1School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
The Journal of Nutrition
|September 5, 2020
Summary
Accurately measuring infant lipid intake is challenging due to human milk (HM) variability. A protocol using 6 daily pre- and post-feed milk samples provides the most precise lipid intake estimation when 24-hour test weights are not feasible.
Area of Science:
- Human nutrition
- Infant feeding practices
- Lactation research
Background:
- Human milk (HM) lipid content varies significantly.
- Infant milk consumption volumes differ, complicating accurate lipid intake assessment.
- Precise sampling and calculation of infant lipid intake remain problematic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the inaccuracies of various milk sampling protocols in estimating infant lipid intake.
- To compare true infant lipid intake with estimates derived from different sampling methods.
Main Methods:
- Collected 1026 monthly milk samples from 20 breastfeeding women (months 1-6).
- Measured infant lipid intake via 24-hour test-weighing at month 3.
- Calculated lipid concentrations and intakes using 11 sampling protocols, comparing estimates to true intake.
Main Results:
- Mean true infant lipid intake was 28.6 g/d.
- A single morning pre-feed sample underestimated intake by over 8.0 g/d.
- A protocol with 6 daily pre- and post-feed samples showed a minimal mean difference of 0.1 g/d from true intake.
Conclusions:
- A sampling protocol with 6 pre- and post-feed samples offers the most accurate lipid intake estimate without 24-hour test weights.
- Consideration of sampling protocol inaccuracies is crucial for interpreting infant lipid intake data.
