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Human milk fatty acids and growth of infants in Brazzaville (The Congo) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).
- Source :
-
Public Health Nutrition . Jun2003, Vol. 6 Issue 3, p241-247. 7p. - Publication Year :
- 2003
-
Abstract
- <bold>Objective: </bold>To estimate the role of human milk n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in term infant growth in two African urban populations.<bold>Design: </bold>Observational study. Weight gains at 5 months of age and dietary habits were compared between Congolese infants (n=102) and Burkinabè infants (n=101). Socio-economic status and anthropometry of the mothers were also recorded.<bold>Setting: </bold>One suburban district in Brazzaville (capital of The Congo) and one in Ouagadougou (capital of Burkina Faso).<bold>Subjects: </bold>Two random samples of nursing mothers and their 5-month-old infants.<bold>Results: </bold>All infants were born at term and there was no difference in birth weights. At 5 months of age, infants in Ouagadougou were thinner but not shorter than their counterparts in Brazzaville (average weight gain (standard deviation): 614 (168) g month-1 vs. 720 (176) g month-1; P= 0.0001). Drastic differences were found in infant diets with regard to extra fluid intake and n-6 and n-3 PUFA concentrations in breast milk. In Ouagadougou, all infants were given fluids other than milk from birth. Breast milk had highly unbalanced 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 and n-6/n-3 long-chain PUFA ratios (53:1 and 5:1, respectively). In Brazzaville, half of the infants received fluids other than milk, and breast milk showed balanced 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 and n-6/n-3 long-chain PUFA ratios (12:1 and 1:1, respectively). A non-linear relationship between 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio and growth was established in Brazzaville (P= 0.0027). The 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio adjusted with covariates had an even more significant effect on weight gain (P= 0.0011). Applying the same model in Ouagadougou did not show such a relation.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>: Data strongly suggest that a balanced ratio of 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 (between 5:1 and 15:1) in breast milk leads to higher weight gain of infants during the first 5 months of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *UNSATURATED fatty acids
*HUMAN growth
*MOTHERS
*INFANT development
*SCIENTIFIC observation
*BREAST milk
*ANTHROPOMETRY
*DRINKING (Physiology)
*INFANT nutrition
*SOCIOECONOMIC factors
*T-test (Statistics)
*COMPARATIVE studies
*BURKINABE
*OMEGA-3 fatty acids
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
*CHI-squared test
*METROPOLITAN areas
*STATISTICAL sampling
*DATA analysis software
*BODY mass index
*LONGITUDINAL method
*EDUCATIONAL attainment
*ADULTS
*CHILDREN
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13689800
- Volume :
- 6
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Public Health Nutrition
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 106701233
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1079/phn2002420