Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan does not change the composition of breast milk

To determine possible effects of fasting on breast milk composition for Mus lim mothers during the holy month of Ramadan in the United Arab Emirates (U AE). A prospective descriptive study. Muwajihi Primary Health Care (PHC) Clinic, AZ-Ain Medical District. 26 healthy nursing mothers were recruited. Their mean age was 27 +/- 5 years. Each mother was seen twice by a physician in the morning at the PHC clinic firstly between the second and fourth weeks of Ramadan and secondly two wee ks after the end of Ramadan. Before attending the clinic, the mothers had a llowed their babies to suckle. At the first visit, the mother was personall y interviewed by the doctor and a sample of breast milk was taken for analy sis. A second sample was similarly taken at the second visit after Ramadan. For each sample, total fat, protein, lactose, total solids, non-fat solids , triglycerides and cholesterol were measured. No significant differences were seen in the content of major nutrients of m ilk taken during and after Ramadan. There was a slight increase and a sligh t decrease respectively in the concentrations of triglycerides and choleste rol after the end of Ramadan, although these changes were also not signific ant. The present study showed that no major changes occur in the composition of human breast milk as a consequence of reverting to a normal alimentary patt ern at the end of Ramadan. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserv ed.