A pilot study on the impact of maternal diet and preconception body mass index on breast milk macronutrient composition

Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the maternity units of the University Hospital of Leuven, Belgium. Postpartum women, who delivered a term (≥37 weeks of gestation), did not smoke, were normoglycaemic and who were not on predefined medication, were invited to participate. Participants completed a 24 dietary recall and donated a breast milk sample of 1.5-2cl at day 4 post-delivery. The samples were collected during the first feeding in the morning by use of a vacuum pump. Each sample was analyzed for macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fats) and energy with the MIRIS Human Milk Analyzer. The prepregnancy weight and length were assessed from the online medical patient file to calculate the pre-pregnancy BMI. Further baseline characteristics included maternal age, ethnicity and parity. Pregnancy outcomes included delivery mode, the use of combined spinal epidural, gestational age, birth weight and gender of the baby.