Key Points
Exclusive breastfeeding of infants during the first 6 months of life and continuing breastfeeding with appropriate introduction of complementary foods for up to 2 years of age is recommended by the World Health Organization (2017). One of the key nutrients in human milk that has received special attention is omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), because of its important role in neurodevelopment. Human milk LCPUFA composition is determined largely by maternal dietary intake. Human milk fatty acid patterns of women from industrialized Western countries that share similar “low seafood and high omega-6 (n-6)/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acid (PUFA) ratio” dietary patterns are generally similar: high in saturated fatty acids but low in DHA content. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the human milk fatty acid composition of lactating women in Cambodia and (2) to compare it with that of women from an industrialized western country. The results demonstrate that the human milk of Cambodian women was lower in total fat content and the percentage of trans fat content but higher in the percentage of short- to medium-chain fatty acids and DHA compared with Australian participants. The differences observed in human milk fatty acid composition between participants in Cambodia and Australia may be explained by differences in the dietary patterns of the two countries. The human milk of the Australian participants contains a significantly higher percentage of ALA (and thus total n-3 PUFA) but a lower percentage of DHA than that of Cambodian participants. This may be explained by lower intake of fish and seafood products
among Australian women, as fewer than 20% of Australian women reported consuming fish at least once a day compared with 95% of Cambodian women. DHA in human milk may be sourced from the maternal diet directly or endogenously converted from ALA to eicosapentaenoic acid, to docosapentaenoic acid, and eventually to DHA. Differences in fatty acid profiles between Australian and Cambodian participants were seen in total fat and in n-6 and n-3 PUFAs, including LA, AA, ALA, and DHA. Further research to investigate the level of human milk fatty acid content that is associated with optimal growth and development of infants
and the dietary pattern associated with optimal human milk fatty acid composition is warranted.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Human milk is a rich source of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are postulated to be important for brain development. There is a lack of data on the human milk fatty acid composition of Cambodian women compared with data from Western women. Research Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the human milk fatty acid composition of women living in Cambodia and compare it with that of women living in Australia. METHOD: Human milk samples from Cambodian ( n = 67) and Australian ( n = 200) mothers were collected at 3 to 4 months postpartum. Fatty acid composition was analyzed using capillary gas chromatography followed by Folch extraction with chloroform/methanol (2:1 v/v), and fat content was measured gravimetrically. RESULT: Compared with Australian participants, human milk from Cambodian participants contained a significantly lower level of total fat (2.90 vs. 3.45 g/dL, p = .028), lower percentages of linoleic acid (9.30% vs. 10.66%, p < .0001) and α-linolenic acid (0.42% vs. 0.95%, p < .0001), but higher percentages of arachidonic acid (0.68% vs. 0.38%, p < .0001) and docosahexaenoic acid (0.40% vs. 0.23%, p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Differences in human milk fatty acid composition between Cambodian and Australian participants may be explained by differences in the dietary patterns between the two populations.
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