EFFECT OF ACUTE MATERNAL INFECTION ON QUANTITY AND COMPOSITION OF BREAST-MILK

To investigate the potential effects of maternal infection during lact ation on breast-milk quantity and composition, we examined low-income Peruvian women who had an acute febrile infection and were exclusively breast-feeding a child from 1 to 6 mo of age (n = 36). Women who were not ill (n = 38) served as controls; all women had body mass indexes (in kg/m(2)) > 19.5. Blood and milk samples were collected on days 1, 7, and 14 after identification of the episode of illness. C-reactive p rotein in maternal serum was significantly elevated by infection, wher eas two other acute-phase reactants, ceruloplasmin and alpha(2)-macrog lobulin, showed no change. Serum zinc concentrations were significantl y lower in ill women than in women who were not ill, whereas serum cop per concentrations were elevated initially in ill women. Serum iron co ncentrations increased significantly with time, but there was no signi ficant difference between groups. Milk intake, as assessed by 12-h tes t-weighing, was not affected by the infection. Concentrations of milk total protein, casein, and whey proteins were similar in the two group s and there was no significant effect of illness on milk trace element concentrations. Thus, acute maternal infections during established la ctation did not affect milk volume, milk protein, or trace element con centrations, despite expected changes in serum protein and trace eleme nt concentrations.