Do gender and birth height of infant affect calorie of human milk? An association study between human milk macronutrient and various birth factors

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the macronutrient of human milk (HM) and to find out the various maternal–infantile factors that can affect HM composition.

Methods: 478 HM samples were collected from healthy and exclusively breast-feeding mothers who delivered healthy term neonates within 3 months. Macronutrient of the samples was analyzed and the birth data were collected.

Results: In multivariate logistic regression analysis, various maternal–infantile factors were found to be associated with HM composition changes; higher fat: cesarean section (OR = 2.47, p < 0.001) and birth height (OR = 0.84, p = 0.004); higher protein: postpartum age (OR = 0.89, p < 0.001); higher carbohydrate: vaginal delivery (OR = 0.50, p = 0.005) and female infant (OR = 0.56, p = 0.012); higher calorie: postpartum age (OR = 0.95, p = 0.003), female infant (OR = 0.33, p = 0.017), and birth height (OR = 0.74, p < 0.001). Female infant (OR = 0.36, p = 0.029), birth height (OR = 0.73, p = 0.001), and postpartum age (OR = 0.95, p = 0.005) were found as independent risk factors for higher HM calorie.

Conclusion: Various maternal–infantile factors were found to affect HM composition. Interestingly, delivery mode, gender of infant, and birth height were associated with changes in HM macronutrient as well as postpartum age.

Keywords:

• Breast milk
• calorie
• fat
• protein

Declaration of interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. 2015R1A2A1A15056046).