TABLE 5.
Maternal biomarkers and human milk MN concentrations at 5 mo postpartum (n = 163)1
| Maternal blood biomarker | Micronutrients in human milk | Mean % difference (95% CI) in human milk concentration for each unit higher biomarker2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hemoglobin, g/L | Iron | 1.9 (1.2, 2.6) |
| Iron sTfR, mg/L | Iron | −7.0 (−10.1, −3.8) |
| Iron BIS, mg/kg | Iron | 4.6 (2.5, 6.8) |
| Iron serum ferritin, μg/L | Iron | 0.4 (0.1, 0.7) |
| Zinc, μmol/L | Zinc | −3.8 (−9.7, 2.4) |
| RBP, μmol/L | Retinol | 35.3 (10.7, 65.4) |
| RBP, μmol/L | β-Carotene | 20.4 (−13.3, 67.3) |
| RBP, μmol/L | α-Carotene | 19.0 (−13.2, 63.2) |
| RBP, μmol/L | β-Cryptoxanthin | 40.3 (2.9, 91.2) |
| Selenium, μmol/L | Selenium | 70.4 (16.0, 150.5) |
| Vitamin B-12, pmol/L | Vitamin B-12 | 0.1 (0.1, 0.2) |
1
AGP, α-1-acid-glycoprotein; BIS, body iron stores; RBP, retinol binding protein; sTfR, serum transferrin receptor.
2
Regressions were run with the log-transform of the milk concentration as the outcome and mean differences (95% CI) were back-transformed and reported as % differences. Associations were adjusted for parity, milk volume, rural living status and inflammation (AGP).