Case review: food pattern effects on milk lipid profiles

Abstract

For infants being exclusively breastfed, human milk is their only source of nutrients with the lipid component of human milk as major source of energy for breastfed infants. Lipids contribute approximately half of the total energy intake infants need.1 In human milk during early infant development, these lipids are critical for growth and maturation2 in both the short and long term.3 It is known that the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid are reflective of food intake in the human body.4–6 While omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids transfer to human milk based on maternal diet, very little is converted to longer chain fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (ARA) (converted from LA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (converted from ALA).7 It is unknown whether the fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and arachidonic acid (AA) in human milk are reflective of maternal dietary pattern. Little information is available regarding the day-to-day changes in the lipid profile of human milk in the first few days postpartum with relation to different dietary patterns. The objective of this case study was to evaluate the lipid profile for three dietary patterns during the first two weeks postpartum: Vegan, Standard American, and Asian dietary patterns.