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Effect of Small‐Quantity Lipid‐Based Nutrient Supplement (SQ‐LNS) on Breast Milk Vitamin A Concentration among Ghanaian Women
Author(s) -
Klevor Moses,
Haskell Marjorie,
Lartey Anna,
AduAfarwuah Seth,
Zeilani Mamane,
Dewey Kathryn
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.898.17
Subject(s) - micronutrient , breast milk , medicine , vitamin , lactation , pregnancy , vitamin d and neurology , placebo , physiology , population , retinol , endocrinology , zoology , biology , environmental health , biochemistry , genetics , alternative medicine , pathology
Background Vitamin A deficiency remains a global public health problem. Design Women 蠄 20 weeks of gestation (N=1,320) were randomly assigned to receive either a multiple micronutrient supplement (MMN) providing 18 micronutrients including 800 µg RE vitamin A or SQ‐LNS with the same nutrients as the MMN group, plus four minerals and macronutrients contributing 118 kcal daily until 6 months postpartum; a control group received iron and folic acid only (IFA) during pregnancy and a placebo during the first 6 months postpartum. Breast milk samples collected at 6 months postpartum were analyzed for retinol and fat concentrations in a subsample of 756 women. Results Average ± SD breast milk retinol concentration, per gram of fat, was 56.3 ± 2.1 nmol/g; there were no significant differences between groups [IFA (n=243) 59.1 ± 2.8, MMN (n=260) 55.4 ± 2.5, LNS (n=253) 54.7 ± 2.5 nmol/g fat; p=0.45], regardless of whether the woman had or had not received a high‐dose vitamin A supplement (200, 000 IU) soon after childbirth. About 17% of participants had low milk retinol (蠄 28 nmol/g fat), whereas we estimated that 36% of infants were potentially receiving vitamin A at levels above the Tolerable Upper Level (UL, 600 µg RAE/day). Conclusion Daily low dose vitamin A supplementation did not increase breast milk vitamin A levels in this sample of Ghanaian women. Women in this population may have had adequate dietary vitamin A intake.