Milk and mineral intakes of breastfed infants

Milk and mineral intakes of twenty-six full term infants receiving human milk as their sole milk source were determined by "test weighing" and direct analyses of milk samples at months 1, 2 and 3 of lactation. Data indicate that volume of milk ingested ranged from 295 to 996 ml/day and mean intakes (606, 601, 626 ml/day at months 1, 2 and 3, respectively) are less than the often quoted 850 ml/day. Taking into account Swedish and Scottish data and that from the present investigation, it appears that typical human milk intakes are 500 to 800 ml/day. No relationship was observed between volume of intake and growth of infants. Ranges of intake for copper, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride are comparable to values reported for these mineral intakes by both early and modern investigators even though different data collection techniques and analytical methods were employed.