Dietary Intakes of Mothers of Premature Infants and Its Possible Associations with Macronutrients and Energy in Breast Milk

  Objective  To evaluate dietary intakes of mothers of premature infants and to explore its possible associations with macronutrients and energy in breast milk.

  Methods  A 24-hour dietary survey was conducted in mothers of premature infants at 2 and 6 weeks postpartum, and in mothers of term infants at 6 weeks postpartum. Breast milk samples were collected the day following the survey. The possible correlation between the macronutrients (including protein, fat, carbohydrate, and dry matter) and energy in the milk samples and dietary intakes was analyzed.

  Results  Totally, 46 questionnaires were collected from mothers of premature infants(30 at 2 weeks, 16 at 6 weeks postpartum) and 31 from mothers of term infants at 6 weeks postpartum. At 6 weeks postpartum, general dietary intakes showed no significant difference between mothers of premature infants and those of term infants(P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in milk macronutrients and energy between normal body mass index mothers and overweight/obese mothers (P > 0.05). No association was found between the dietary protein, fat, carbohydrate intakes and the levels of these macronutrients in the breast milk in mothers of premature infants (P > 0.05).

  Conclusions  There may be no association between the near-term dietary intakes and the macronutrients and energy in the breast milk in mothers of premature infants who are in normal nutritional status.