O-84 The Relationship between Maternal Body Composition and Breastmilk Volume Intake

Methods: Mother-infant dyads were recruited and consented to participate in a breast milk intake study, using the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stable isotope deuterium oxide dose-to-mother technique. Deuterium oxide (30 g) was only administered to the mothers on day 0. Saliva samples were collected from the mother-infant dyads on 7 days (Day 0,1,2,3,4, 13, and 14). On day 0, maternal weight, infant’s weight and length were measured. On day 14, the infant’s weight and length were repeated. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) measured deuterium oxide enrichment. The amount of human milk consumed by the infant, the infant’s water intake from sources other than human milk, and the mother’s body composition were calculated.

Results: There were 92 DTM studies during the study period. Of these studies, 78 (85%) satisfied IAEA quality assurance criteria. The prevalence of exclusive breast feeding in the sample was 52.6 %. There was substantial agreement between the classification of exclusive breastfeeding by the DTM method and by questionnaire (agreement 76.9%, kappa 0.54, p<0.001). There was no significant association between maternal body fat percent and fat free mass with breast milk volume intake. However, there was a significant positive association of maternal body fat mass with breastmilk intake adjusting for feeding mode, duration of breastfeeding postnatally, maternal age and parity. For each 1 kg increase in body fat mass, the amount of breastmilk consumed increased by 5.5 g/d.

Conclusion: Maternal fat mass was positively associated with breast milk volume intake. Further research is needed to gain a more in-depth understanding of the factors affecting breastfeeding practices in Jamaica. Nonetheless, policy makers and public health educators should pay close attention to maternal nutrition.