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Vitamin D status does not influence the breast‐milk calcium concentration of lactating mothers accustomed to a low calcium intake
Author(s) -
Prentice A,
Yan L,
Jarjou LMA,
Dibba B,
Laskey MA,
Stirling DM,
FairweatherTait S
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1997.tb15189.x
Subject(s) - calcium , lactation , vitamin d and neurology , medicine , breast milk , endocrinology , placebo , vitamin , breast feeding , zoology , pregnancy , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , pediatrics , genetics , alternative medicine , pathology
Plasma 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D and breast‐milk calcium concentration were measured at 3 months of lactation in 60 Gambian mothers accustomed to a low calcium diet, of whom 30 were consuming a calcium supplement and 30 were receiving a placebo, and in 48 British mothers. The plasma 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D concentration of the Gambian women was not affected by either calcium supplementation (supplemented, 64. 4 ± 2. 5 nmol 1 ‐1 ; placebo, 64. 9 ± 3. 5 nmol l ‐1 ; mean ± SE) or season. The British average was lower (53. 9 ± 3. 0 nmol 1 ‐1 , p = 0. 004), owing to marked seasonal effects. The breast‐milk calcium concentration was lower in The Gambia (supplemented, 5. 38 ± 0. 13 mmol 1 ‐1 ; placebo, 5. 10 ± 0. 13mmol 1 ‐1 ; British, 6. 93 ± 0. 15 mmol 1 ‐1 , p < 0. 0001). There was no relationship between plasma 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D and breast‐milk calcium concentration in any group. There was no trend towards lower breast‐milk calcium concentration in women with vitamin D status towards the bottom of the normal range or in British women during the winter. This study provides no support for the hypothesis that breast‐milk calcium concentration is influenced by vitamin D status or that lactating women with a low calcium intake are at particular risk of vitamin D deficiency.