Research Showcase Abstracts
Explore abstracts from CFDR’s annual research showcase at the DC Conference.
Year
2006
Language
English
Title
Nutrient Composition of Hindmilk Produced by Mothers of Very Low Birthweight Infants
Introduction/Purpose
Pauline Darling, MSc, PhD, RD, from St. Michael's Hospital, made a well-received presentation on two CFDR-funded research projects at the annual Research Breakfast held just before the AGM on November 30, 2006. Dr. Darling's two projects demonstrate the diversity of projects in nutrition that CFDR funds and underscores the breadth of the Foundation's research program.
Nutrient Composition of Hindmilk Produced by Mothers of Very Low Birthweight Infants In 2002, Dr. Darling and her research team (Rosine Bishara RD MSc, Susan Merko RD and Michael Dunn MD) received CFDR funding for a project looking at the nutrient composition of hindmilk produced by mothers of very low birthweight infants. Typically, these infants fed fortified human milk exhibit growth failure. One approach to enhancing the nutritional intake is to introduce hindmilk—milk produced after the first three minutes of milk flow. Hindmilk has a higher fat and energy concentration than foremilk, but there is not enough known about the vitamin content of hindmilk produced by mothers who have given birth to low birthweight infants. Researchers found that compared to foremilk, hindmilk had significantly higher concentrations of retinol, tocopherol, fat and energy; and that the composition of normalized fatty acids was slightly and significantly altered in hindmilk vs. foremilk. These findings have implications in assessing the fat-soluble vitamin content of human milk fortifiers for feeding very low birthweight infants.
Nutrient Composition of Hindmilk Produced by Mothers of Very Low Birthweight Infants In 2002, Dr. Darling and her research team (Rosine Bishara RD MSc, Susan Merko RD and Michael Dunn MD) received CFDR funding for a project looking at the nutrient composition of hindmilk produced by mothers of very low birthweight infants. Typically, these infants fed fortified human milk exhibit growth failure. One approach to enhancing the nutritional intake is to introduce hindmilk—milk produced after the first three minutes of milk flow. Hindmilk has a higher fat and energy concentration than foremilk, but there is not enough known about the vitamin content of hindmilk produced by mothers who have given birth to low birthweight infants. Researchers found that compared to foremilk, hindmilk had significantly higher concentrations of retinol, tocopherol, fat and energy; and that the composition of normalized fatty acids was slightly and significantly altered in hindmilk vs. foremilk. These findings have implications in assessing the fat-soluble vitamin content of human milk fortifiers for feeding very low birthweight infants.
Objective(s)/Process or Summary of Content
VLBW infants (< 1500g at birth) fed fortified human milk commonly exhibit postnatal growth failure.
Approaches to the further enhance nutritional intake of VLBW infants include
• addition of fat, carbohydrate and/or protein modules
• selective feeding of preterm hindmilk.
Approaches to the further enhance nutritional intake of VLBW infants include
• addition of fat, carbohydrate and/or protein modules
• selective feeding of preterm hindmilk.
Conclusions(s)/Recommendations
• These results support the hypothesis that a large fraction of retinol and tocopherol are secreted into preterm milk via milk lipid globule TAG core.
• These findings have implications in assessing the fat-soluble vitamin content of human milk fortifiers for feeding VLBW infants.
• These findings have implications in assessing the fat-soluble vitamin content of human milk fortifiers for feeding VLBW infants.
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