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Maternal diet and human milk composition: an updated systematic review
Inga Petersohn1,2, Anneke H Hellinga3, Linde van Lee2
1Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Nutrition
|February 14, 2024
Summary
Maternal diet significantly influences human milk fatty acid composition, particularly with fish intake positively impacting ALA, DHA, and EPA levels. More research is needed on other nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Human Lactation
- Public Health
Background:
- Exclusive breastfeeding for six months is crucial for infant health.
- Previous reviews (up to 2015) highlighted maternal diet's role in milk composition but lacked detailed nutrient intake data.
- Evidence on specific nutrient levels and their relation to maternal diet requires updating.
Purpose of the Study:
- To update the review on maternal diet and human milk composition, focusing on data from 2015-2021.
- To critically assess study designs, sampling methods, and visualize trends in maternal nutrient intake and milk composition.
- To identify gaps in current research regarding maternal diet's impact on various milk components.
Main Methods:
- Systematic PubMed search for articles published between January 2015 and March 2021.
- Independent screening, selection, and data extraction by two researchers, including risk of bias assessment.
- Inclusion of studies with quantitative data, common effect estimates, and healthy mother-infant dyads.
Main Results:
- Seventeen studies focused on fatty acids, showing positive associations between maternal fish intake and milk ALA, DHA, and EPA.
- Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) generally correlated positively with milk concentrations, while saturated fatty acids (SFAs) showed negative associations.
- Limited and varied studies exist on maternal diet's impact on milk carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Conclusions:
- Evidence on maternal diet and human milk fatty acids is growing but methodologically diverse.
- Further research, especially intervention studies, is needed to understand maternal diet's comprehensive role in human milk composition, including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
