ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION DURING LACTATION

The requirements for zinc during lactation are greater than those duri ng pregnancy, especially during the early weeks postpartum. Therefore, lactation poses a significant threat to maternal zinc homeostasis, pa rticularly in populations with chronically low dietary zinc intakes. T he current knowledge of maternal zinc status in lactation, particularl y in developing countries, is reviewed herein with emphasis on the eff ects of zinc supplementation trials. The studies that have examined th e zinc status of breast-fed infants are also reviewed.