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Human milk fatty acids and growth of infants in Brazzaville (The Congo) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

G Rocquelin ,
S Tapsoba ,
J Kiffer  and
S Eymard-Duvernay
G Rocquelin*
Affiliation:
IRD, UR106 ‘Nutrition, Alimentation, Sociétés’, BP 64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
S Tapsoba
Affiliation:
Direction Régionale de la Santé du itouet, Centre Régional de Nutrition, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
J Kiffer
Affiliation:
IRD, UR106 ‘Nutrition, Alimentation, Sociétés’, BP 64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
S Eymard-Duvernay
Affiliation:
IRD, UR106 ‘Nutrition, Alimentation, Sociétés’, BP 64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
*
*Corresponding author: Email gerard.rocquelin@mpl.ird.fr.
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Abstract

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Objective:

Objective: To estimate the role of human milk n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in term infant growth in two African urban populations.

Design:

Observational study. Weight gains at 5 months of age and dietary habits were compared between Congolese infants (n=102) and Burkinabè infants (n=101). Socio-economic status and anthropometry of the mothers were also recorded.

Setting:

One suburban district in Brazzaville (capital of The Congo) and one in Ouagadougou (capital of Burkina Faso).

Subjects:

Two random samples of nursing mothers and their 5-month-old infants.

Results:

All infants were born at term and there was no difference in birth weights. At 5 months of age, infants in Ouagadougou were thinner but not shorter than their counterparts in Brazzaville (average weight gain (standard deviation): 614 (168) g month-1 vs. 720 (176) g month-1; P>0.0001). Drastic differences were found in infant diets with regard to extra fluid intake and n-6 and n-3 PUFA concentrations in breast milk. In Ouagadougou, all infants were given fluids other than milk from birth. Breast milk had highly unbalanced 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 and n-6/n-3 long-chain PUFA ratios (53:1 and 5:1, respectively). In Brazzaville, half of the infants received fluids other than milk, and breast milk showed balanced 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 and n-6/n-3 long-chain PUFA ratios (12:1 and 1:1, respectively). A non-linear relationship between 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio and growth was established in Brazzaville (P=0.0027). The 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 ratio adjusted with covariates had an even more significant effect on weight gain (P=0.0011). Applying the same model in Ouagadougou did not show such a relation.

Conclusion:

Data strongly suggest that a balanced ratio of 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 (between 5:1 and 15:1) in breast milk leads to higher weight gain of infants during the first 5 months of life.

Keywords

Human milkPolyunsaturated fatty acidsInfant growthDeveloping countries
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , June 2003 , pp. 241 - 247
Copyright
Copyright © CAB International 2003

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