Year: 2024 | Month: April | Volume: 14 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 394-405
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20240452
Human Milk Nutrients: The Influence of Maternal Diet and Nutritional Status
Faith Bala
Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
ABSTRACT
Human milk is recommended as the sole source of nutrients during the first six months of life and as a key source of nutrients for up to two years or beyond. This recommendation is backed by extensive evidence that human milk feeding reduces the risk of short- and long-term morbidity and mortality and supports optimal child development. Unlike infant formula which has a consistent composition, the composition of human milk fluctuates due to a range of different factors, of which maternal nutrition is one. Understanding the concentration of various nutrients in human milk and the influence of maternal diet and nutritional status is important for supporting optimal breastfeeding practices. Thus, this review aimed to summarize the influence of maternal diet and nutritional status on the composition of human milk nutrients.
Key words: Human Milk; Maternal Nutrition; Maternal Diet; Maternal Nutritional Status; Breastfeeding; Breast Milk.