Vitamin E in plasma and milk of lactating women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

We measured levels of plasma and milk alpha-tocopherol in women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), women without IDDM, and healthy reference women. Milk collections were made at 7, 14, 42, and 84 days postpartum; blood was collected at 3, 14, and 42 days. Postprandial glucose at 80 min was used to describe metabolic control of women with IDDM postpartum. There was no difference between the groups for plasma alpha-tocopherol, which was within normal reported levels. Tocopherol (micrograms/g lipid) decreased by approximately 50% in all groups between 7 and 14 days. The trend for milk tocopherol was similar when expressed as micrograms/dl. Metabolic control did not have a significant effect on mean milk or plasma alpha-tocopherol. We have shown that this group of women with IDDM produced a milk with vitamin E content similar to control and reference women. We conclude that the infant of the breast-feeding woman with IDDM who is in good metabolic control during pregnancy and who receives good prenatal counseling most likely receives adequate vitamin E from the mother's milk.