The Fatty Acid Composition of Human Milk in Northern Nigeria

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The authors previously reported that the milk of Yoruba women in southwestern Nigeria was deficient in •-linolenic acid and contained a high percentage (42%) of medium chain–length fatty acids (MCFA, C10-C14). In the present study, the authors used capillary gas-liquid chromatography to analyze the milk of Hausawomen in the northern region of Nigeria. The milk of the Hausa women contained 27% MCFA, 10.6% linoleic acid, 0.41% •-linolenic acid, 0.52% arachidonic acid, and 0.32% docosahexaenoic acid. The proportion of •-linolenic acid in the serum phospholipids of a subset of exclusively breastfed infants (n=15; mean age, 6.2 ± 0.3 months) was below the limit of detection (<0.03%). While the milk of women in northern Nigeria is adequate with regard to n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, to satisfy the requirements for •-linolenic acid, it may be necessary to supplement the infants of these women after the first 6 months of life.