Riboflavin content of breast milk in lactating Nigerian women: its implications for child welfare in developing countries.

Abstract

Riboflavin content of breast milk was determined in 100 lactating Nigerian women attending the clinic 6 weeks post partum. The women, from different ethnic groups, were fully breastfeeding at the time of the study and consisted of primi and multigravidae. Urine and milk samples were obtained at the clinic and analyzed for riboflavin. Parity had no effect of breast milk riboflavin (P0.05), the mean riboflavin content was 0.34 + or - 0.07 mg/1 (range 0.22-0.47 mg/1) with 27% of the mothers secreting above 0.4 mg riboflavin/1. There was no association between urinary riboflavin excretion and milk riboflavin. A greater number of infants, if exclusively breast fed without vitamin supplementation, may not meet their daily need for riboflavin. Storage of breast milk samples in the refrigerator for as long as 2 weeks had no effect on the component riboflavin. This may be an advantage where breast milk banks are operated.