Effect of sampling on fatty acid composition of human colostrum.

Samples of colostrum were taken from 19 subjects before and after infant feeding, 3 and 5 days post partum. Milk samples were analyzed by argentation and gas chromatography for 30 fatty acids contained in the lipid fraction. Although small differences were observed between day 3 and day 5 samples, the fatty acid composition of the milk did not vary on either of the days between samples taken before and after nursing. It is concluded that a single sample taken any time during the feeding is representative of the entire nursing.