SODIUM IN HAND AND PUMP EXPRESSED HUMAN BREAST-MILK

Sodium content was analysed in the expressed breast milk from 30 mothe rs. Measurements were taken up to 24 days postpartum, during which tim e the mothers expressed manually or by means of a pump. Statistical an alysis has confirmed not only the known decline in sodium levels postp artum but has also shown a significantly higher sodium content in manu ally expressed milk compared to that from pump expressed milk. This fi nding suggests that the method of expression may alter the sodium conc entration in human breast milk, thus potentially reducing the amount o f sodium supplementation required by some preterm infants.