TRACE-ELEMENT CONTENT OF HUMAN-MILK DURING LACTATION

Human milk is believed to provide all the nutrients necessary for norm al infant growth. The present study is concerned with the evaluation o f longitudinal changes in Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Pb, Rb, and Sr milk cont ents over a long period of lactation. A total of 140 milk samples from 26 lactating mothers were supplied from the 2(nd) to the 180(th) day after delivery of a full-term healthy infant. Cu, Zn, and Se showed a time-dependent decrease, with similar 10-day half-times. Br and Pb sho wed correlations with time, but the data fitting produced very short ( 2-3 days) half-times. The Fe, Rb, and Sr contents were constant over t he lactation time. After about one month of lactation, trace element c ontents tend to stabilise, as do other milk components.