Breast milk plays an essential role in infant development. However, lactating women may have little idea of the nutrient adequacy in their breast milk. Recently, the Laboratory for Infant and Child of PolyU’s Food Safety and Technology Research Centre has conducted a research to analyse the calcium, iron and iodine levels of breast milk of Hong Kong lactating women and their daily intakes of respective micronutrients.
The research team analysed the breast milk samples and the three-day diet records and frequency statistics of 95 lactating women participants collected between May 2014 and August 2015. Results revealed that about 51%, 74% and 48% of the breast milk samples of the 39 lactating women with 0-6 month-old infants met the adequate intake levels of calcium, iron and iodine recommended by the Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) 2013 respectively. However, the daily intakes of calcium, iron and iodine of the 95 breastfeeding mother participants in the study were significantly lower than the DRIs' recommendations, with only 12%, 6% and 2% of participants fulfilling the recommended intakes of calcium, iron and iodine respectively.
In view of this, PolyU research team suggested lactating women to consume a wide variety of food, especially dairy products, tofu, dark green leafy vegetables, meat, legumes, seafood and seaweed products so as to prevent adverse health effects such as osteoporosis, anemia, and warrant the optimal growth and development of infants and young children. Details>>