Title
Lactoferrin concentration in breast milk of mothers of low-birth-weight newborns
Date Issued
01 May 2017
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
Nature Publishing Group
Abstract
Objectives: Lactoferrin (LF) is a breast milk glycoprotein with protective effects against neonatal infections, mainly in premature and low-birth-weight (LBW) neonates. The aims of this study were to determine LF concentration in breast milk of mothers of LBW infants during the first 2 months postpartum, and to identify the factors associated with LF concentration. Study Design: Prospective study conducted as a part of an ongoing clinical trial in three Neonatal Units in Peru. We included 346 mothers of neonates with a birth weight <2000 g. We measured LF concentration in four stages of lactation using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the association between maternal and neonatal factors, and LF concentration. Results: We collected 695 milk samples. LF mean concentration ± standard deviation was 14.92±7.96 mg ml-1 in colostrum (n=277), 10.73±5.67 in transitional milk (n=55), 10.34±6.27 at 1 month (n=259) and 8.52±6.47 at 2 months (n=104). There was a significant difference in LF concentration between different stages of lactation (P<0.001). Mothers with higher LF concentration in colostrum had higher values in the following 2 months. High maternal income and multiple gestation were significantly associated with higher LF levels; in contrast, maternal peripartum infections and male neonatal gender were associated with lower LF levels. Conclusions: LF concentration in breast milk of mothers of LBW infants was high and remained elevated even at 1 and 2 months postpartum. LF concentration in colostrum was higher in mothers with higher income and multiple pregnancies, and lower in mothers with peripartum infections.
Start page
507
End page
512
Volume
37
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias médicas, Ciencias de la salud Biología celular, Microbiología Pediatría
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85010851248
PubMed ID
Source
Journal of Perinatology
ISSN of the container
07438346
Sponsor(s)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - R01HD067694
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus