[Iron, folate and vitamin B12 in maternal blood and breast milk (author's transl)].

Maternal blood and milk iron (Fe), folate (FA), vitamin B12 (B12) and serum ferritin (Fr) were determined in four groups of lactating mothers: normal, toxemic, anemic and treated anemic during pregnancy. 1. An increasing blood Fe, Fr and a decreasing milk Fe with time in postpartum were found in each group. A high level of blood Fe, Fr was observed in the treated group. Milk Fe, however, had showed no significant difference in either group. There was no correlation between the blood and milk Fe. 2. There was no demonstrable change of blood FA, but milk FA had significantly increased in each group. Blood FA showed a low level in the toxemic group and a high level in the treated group, but no significant difference of milk FA could be found in either group. No matter how widely the level of blood FA spread, there was a little change in milk FA. 3. An increasing blood B12 and a decreasing milk B12 were found in each group. There was a tendency towards a high level of blood B12 in the treated group, but the level of milk B12 differed widely from one material to the other. There was no correlation between the blood and milk B12.