| Abstrakt: |
Fatty acid composition of human milk was determined for three consecutive period of lactation: 1) colostrum two to four days postpartum (100 samples); 2) transient milk six to 16 days postpartum (50 samples), and 3) mature milk one to eight months of lactation (16 samples). As compared to mature milk, colostrum is characterized by a lower percentage of short-chain and medium-chain saturated fatty acids and a higher percentage of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Remarkably high levels of the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, were found in this study (14.6, 16.0 ad 16.4 percent of total fatty acids respectively for each of the three periods considered). These values are higher than those reported for mothers from other countries. The high levels of linoleic acid found in this study unsaturated fatty acids longer than C 20, derived from the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic, constitute between 5 and 6 percent of the total fatty acids. Human milk, therefore, is an excellent source of essential fatty acids and their polyenoic derivatives, which are needed for the development of the nervous and vascular systems during the first months of life. |
