Effect of a Dairy Product for Pregnant and Lactating Women on the Composition of Human Milk

Effect of Consumption of a Dairy Product Designed for Pregnant and Lactating Women on the Composition of Human Milk. A Quasi-experimental Study in a Vulnerable Population

Vulnerable populations, who have deficient diets, may produce human milk (HML) that is not adequate in all nutrients, and this will have consequences on the growth and development of the child. In 2021, at IDIP, a specific milk product for pregnant and lactating women, Super Mil Mamá ( SMM, whole milk powder fortified with multiple vitamins, minerals, and DHA ) was designed and developed as part of a key strategy to incorporate into public policies for the first 1000 days of life. However, the potential benefits of this product have not yet been evaluated at the population level. The main objective is to evaluate the effect of the consumption of a milk product (SMM) designed for pregnant women on maternal nutritional status and the composition of human milk at one month postpartum.

Specific objectives include:

To compare the concentrations of DHA, Vitamins A, E, and D, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, and Calcium in human milk at one month postpartum of mothers who consumed SSM or not.

To compare the concentrations of DHA, Vitamins A, E, D and Zinc in blood and the nutritional status of maternal iron between mothers who consumed SSM and those who did not.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Intervention group: Pregnant women over 18 years of age who undergo prenatal care during gestational weeks (GW) 28 ± 1 at the Maternal Nutrition Clinic of the H.I.G.A. "San Martín" in La Plata, and who regularly consume milk, will be included.
• Control group: Women over 18 years of age who attend their child's first checkup before the first month of life at the Maternal Clinic of the IDIP Health Observatory, and who exclusively breastfeed their children, will be included.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Women who have had multiple pregnancies and/or women with malabsorption diseases.