Impact of traditional food supplements on nutritional status of lactating mothers and growth of their infants
Neha Kajale Nutrition Available online 19 April 2014
During lactation, traditional food supplements (TFS) are commonly consumed in India to increase lactation performance and health of mothers. TFS are rich in fats, nuts, dry fruits and sugars and indulging into such supplements for 3 to 6 months postpartum may put the mothers at risk for obesity.
Objective
The present study was aimed to assess nutrient quality of TFS and its effect on nutritional status of lactating mothers and infant’s weight gain in first six months after delivery.
Methods
A random sample of 125 Indian urban lactating mothers (28.9 ± 3.2 yr) was assessed within 6 months postpartum for anthropometry, diet by 24-h recall on three random days, along with socio-economic factors, lactation history and infant’s birth weight and current weight.
Results
Among 18 different TFS, 50% TFS were rich in calcium, 33% rich in iron, 38% in zinc, and only 13% were good sources of vitamins. Mothers taking TFS (n=75) had significantly higher fat intakes than mothers having No Traditional food Supplements (NTS) (n=50). A higher weight gain was seen in TFS mothers (10.5%) than the NTS mothers (8.8%) after adjusting for number of days after delivery, parity, mother’s age & breast feeding practices (P<0.05). Percent weight gain in infants of TFS mothers (120.7± 7.3%) was higher than the infants of NTS mothers (96.2±7.8%) (P =0.024) after adjusting for infant’s age and breast feeding practices. Thus TFS may be modified to increase its micronutrient quality and reduce fat contents so as to reduce the risk of obesity in mothers yet benefit infant’s growth.