Intakes and breast-milk concentrations of essential fatty acids are low among Bangladeshi women with 24-48-month-old children.

Maternal fat intake and adipose reserves are major sources of PUFA during lactation. The present study examined the cross-sectional relationship between prolonged breast-feeding and maternal BMI, assessed adequacy of fat intake among lactating and non-lactating mothers of children 24-48 months of age and determined breast-milk fatty acid composition. Multi-stage sampling was used to select a representative sample of mothers from two rural districts in Bangladesh (n 474). Dietary data were collected during two non-consecutive 24 h periods via 12 h in-home daytime observations and recall. The National Cancer Institute method for episodically consumed foods was used to estimate usual intake distributions. Breast milk samples were collected from ninety-eight women, and breast-milk fatty acid methyl esters were quantified using GC. Approximately 42 % of lactating v. 26 % of non-lactating mothers were underweight (BMI < 18·5 kg/m2; P = 0·0003). The maternal diet was low in total fat (approximately 8 % of mean total energy) and food sources of PUFA, including oil and animal source foods, resulting in a low estimated mean total consumption of PUFA (5·1 g/d). Almost all women were estimated to consume less than the recommended intake levels for total fat, total PUFA, α-linolenic acid (ALA) and DHA. Median breast-milk linoleic acid (8·5 % weight) and ALA (0·2 %) concentrations were among the lowest reported in the literature, in contrast with arachidonic acid (0·5 %) and DHA (0·3 %) concentrations, which were mid-range. Bangladeshi women in general, and especially those who practise prolonged breast-feeding, may benefit from increased consumption of food sources of PUFA.

Dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids among breast-feeding and non-breast-feeding 24- to 48-month-old children in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the adequacy of polyunsaturated fatty acid intake by rural Bangladeshi children 24 to 48 months old in relation to their breast-feeding status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multistage sampling was used to select a representative sample of children 24 to 48 months of age from 2 rural districts in Bangladesh (n = 479). Two nonconsecutive 24-hour periods of dietary data were collected via 12-hour daytime in-home observations and recall. Breast milk intake was estimated using test weighing. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) method for episodically consumed foods was used to estimate distributions of usual food and nutrient intakes. RESULTS: Based on the estimated intake distributions, >95% of the children had usual fat intakes <30% of total energy. Among 24- to 35-month-old (younger) and 36- to 48-month-old (older) children, respectively, 4% and 16% of breast-feeding children and 31% and 41% of non-breast-feeding children were estimated to consume <10% of total energy from fat. An estimated 80% of all of the children consumed <4% of total energy as linoleic acid, and 99% consumed <1% of energy as α-linolenic acid. Younger breast-feeding children had higher estimated average docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intakes (0.04 g DHA/day) than their non-breast-feeding counterparts (0.01 g DHA/day; P = 0.0005). Both breast-feeding and non-breast-feeding older children had estimated mean DHA intakes of 0.02 g/day (P = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Rural Bangladeshi children 24 to 48 months old, and especially those who have discontinued breast-feeding, may benefit from increased fat consumption.