68 CHANGES OF THE FATTY ACID PATTERN OF BREAST MILK LIPIDS IN MOTHERS OF FULL-TERM INFANTS FROM COLOSTRUM TO 6 MONTHS OF LACTATION.

Aims. To investigate the changes of the fatty acid (FA) profile of breast milk during prolonged lactation, focusing on the levels of long-chain polyunsaturated FA (LC-PUFA). Methods. Recruitment of mothers after delivery of full-term infants (37-42 weeks gestational age). Collection of pooled breast milk (hindmilk) from all the feedings over 24 hours at the following points: first day (colostrum), 25±5 days, 3 months, 6 months of lactation. Extraction of lipids from aliquots of each day collection with chloroformmethanol and analysis of FA methyl-esters by capillary gas-chromatography. Statistical analysis: ANOVA for repeated measures. Results. 95 mothers living in the Milan area were recruited. This is a preliminary report on the 9 mothers who at present have successfully finished the 6th month of lactation. Table Conclusions. The levels of the major FA families and of the essential 18-C precursors of LC-PUFA do not display significant changes over 6-mos lactation. The higher values for 9-6 20C chains and 22:6n-3 (with more than 50% difference between colostrum and 3 mos) highlight the relevance of these dietary LC-PUFA in the very early stages of life. The trend of 20:5n-3, progressively increasing over time, suggests the opportunity to reconsider the role of this FA in the breast-fed infant.