THE COPENHAGEN COHORT STUDY ON INFANT NUTRITION AND GROWTH - BREAST-MILK INTAKE, HUMAN-MILK MACRONUTRIENT CONTENT, AND INFLUENCING FACTORS

In 91 healthy term infants breast-milk intake was measured at 2, 4, an d 9 mo by test weighing and human milk macronutrient content by infrar ed analysis every 2-4 wk. In infants exclusively breast-fed, mean milk intake was 781 and 855 mL/24 h at 2 and 4 mo, respectively, and corre lated positively with the current weight of the infant and negatively with the amount of formula supplement given at the maternity ward. Med ian daily energy intake was considerably below current recommendations (423 and 381 kJ/kg body wt at 2 and 4 mo, respectively). Protein conc entration in the milk was approximate to 8% higher in primipara. Media n daily protein intake was 1.3 and 1.0 g/kg body wt at 2 and 4 mo, res pectively. Median fat concentration was 39.2 g/L and was positively as sociated with pregnancy weight gain. This supports the hypothesis that maternal fat stores laid down during pregnancy are easier to mobilize during lactation than are other fat stores and, if low, may limit mil k fat when exhausted.