Comparison of the Macronutrient Content of Colostrum: Locals with Refugees

Pregnant Women's Breast Milk and Breastfeeding Myths and Associated Factors: A Case of Refugee and Non-Refugee Women

BACKGROUND

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of breast milk and breastfeeding myths during pregnancy among Turkish, Turkish-Romani, and Syrian pregnant women and compare the similarities and differences between the countries.

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN

The sample of the study consisted of 330 pregnant women who presented to a hospital. Data were collected with a 'Descriptive Information Form' and 'Breast Milk and Breastfeeding Myths Form' developed by the researchers. The Breast Milk and Breastfeeding Myths Form consists of items expressing common beliefs about breast milk and breastfeeding, and each item is evaluated with one of the following three options: 'yes,' 'no,' and 'no idea.' The forms were applied face to face to the pregnant women who came to the outpatient clinic. The data were evaluated on the SPSS (14.0) software package, and chi-square and advanced analyses were used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Turkish, Turkish-Romani, and Syrian pregnant women who made up the study sample had similar socio-demographic characteristics. It was determined that there were intercultural differences in 28 out of 30 myths evaluated by Turkish, Turkish-Romani, and Syrian mothers regarding breast milk and breastfeeding.

CONCLUSION

It was determined that Turkish pregnant women had different myths about breast milk and breastfeeding from Syrian and Turkish-Romani pregnant women. It can be said that false beliefs and attitudes about breast milk and breastfeeding are common.

We Need Scientific, Ethical Articles on Infant Feeding

Most comparative infant feeding research uses formula, not breastfeeding, as the control. This approach violates the rules of scientific research, misrepresents the findings, and blunts both professional and public response to the higher morbidity and mortality risks of formula feeding.

Profile of Nucleotides in Chinese Mature Breast Milk from Six Regions

This study measured the total potentially available nucleoside (TPAN) content in breast milk from six different regions of China as a part of the Maternal Nutrition and Infant Investigation (MUAI) study. A total of 631 breast milk samples were collected from healthy, lactating women with singleton, full-term pregnancies between 40 and 45 days postpartum in Changchun, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Guangzhou. TPAN and free 5′-monophosphate nucleotide (5′-MNT) contents were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The TPAN content of the Chinese mature milk ranged from 11.61 mg/L to 111.09 mg/L, with a median level of 43.26 mg/L. Four types of nucleotides were identified, and the median levels of cytidine monophosphate (CMP), uridine monophosphate (UMP), guanosine monophosphate (GMP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) were 22.84 mg/L, 9.37 mg/L, 4.86 mg/L, and 4.80 mg/L, respectively. CMP was the predominant nucleotide, accounting for 52.9% of the TPAN content, while free 5′-MNT accounted for 18.38% of the TPAN content. The distribution pattern of the TPAN content and level of the individual nucleotides were significantly different among the selected regions (p < 0.05), but the result showed no significant differences in the TPAN level in breast milk (p > 0.05). In addition, no correlation was reported between the geographic distribution and TPAN levels. This result showed that TPAN better reflects the level of total potential nucleosides in Chinese breast milk rather than 5′-MNT in free form. CMP, UMP, GMP, and AMP are the only 4 types of nucleotides reported in all detections. In addition, results revealed a large variation of TPAN levels in Chinese breast milk across six regions, so that the median value may not be the optimal fortification level of TPAN for Chinese infant populations.

Longitudinal Changes in the Concentration of Major Human Milk Proteins in the First Six Months of Lactation and Their Effects on Infant Growth

Our knowledge related to human milk proteins is still limited. The present study determined the changes in multiple human milk proteins during the first six months of lactation, investigated the influencing factors of milk proteins, and explored the impact of milk proteins on infant growth. A total of 105 lactating women and their full-term infants from China were prospectively surveyed in this research. Milk samples were collected at 1–5 days, 8–14 days, 1 month, and 6 months postpartum. Concentrations of total protein and α-lactalbumin were measured in all milk samples, and concentrations of lactoferrin, osteopontin, total casein, β-casein, α_s−1 casein, and κ-casein were measured in milk from 51 individuals using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The concentration of measured proteins in the milk decreased during the first six months of postpartum (p-trend < 0.001). Maternal age, mode of delivery, maternal education, and income impacted the longitudinal changes in milk proteins (p-interaction < 0.05). Concentrations of α_s−1 casein in milk were inversely associated with the weight-for-age Z-scores of the infants (1 m: r −0.29, p 0.038; 6 m: r −0.33, p 0.020). In conclusion, the concentration of proteins in milk decreased over the first six months postpartum, potentially influenced by maternal demographic and delivery factors. Milk protein composition may influence infant weights.