Manipulation of maternal diet to alter fatty acid composition of human milk intended for premature infants.

Ten lactating mothers (five of preterm and five of term infants) 9-17 d postpartum consumed a 5% fat, 15% protein, and 80% carbohydrate diet for 5 d. Their milk was analyzed for fatty acid composition by gas chromatography. Significant increases in the sum of the absolute and relative concentrations of C10:0, C12:0, and C14:0 fatty acids and significant decreases in the absolute and relative concentrations of C18:0, C18:1, and C18:2 fatty acids were detected on day 4 in both groups (p less than 0.01). Women who delivered prematurely or at term responded similarly in early lactation to a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with an increase in the concentration of fatty acids less than 16 carbons in length. The magnitude of this response is highly variable and may be controlled by total energy balance as well as by individual endocrine responses.