Effect of Sampling Time and Educational Status of the Lactating Mothers on Human Milk Compositions

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for the newborn infant. There are several factors which may affect the human milk compositions. Among them sampling time and educational status of the lactating mothers is the core interest in this study. In almost all countries, child-death rates are inversely related to the level of maternal education. The study has been conducted to observe whether the human milk varies with sampling time and educational status of the sample providing lactating mothers. The experiments have been done with the 3 MV horizontal type (KN 3000) positive ion Van de Graaff accelerator at the Atomic Energy Center, Dhaka (AECD) by using Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) technique, PIXE. The quantative measurement of trace elements in the present study is as follows: S 2493 ± 530 ppm, Cl 11204 ± 1669 ppm, K 14334 ± 2369 ppm, Ca 10383± 1493 ppm, Fe 60.24 ± 21.61 ppm, Cu 6.23 ± 3.11 ppm, Zn 30.3 ±15.20 ppm, Br 7.54 ± 4.65 ppm and Rb 13.4 ± 7.71 ppm. The concentrations of the elements in the afternoon (PM) samples are obtained higher than those in the morning samples (AM) and concentrations of Zn, Fe and Ca content of breast milk from mothers having educational status Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and above was significantly higher than those of illiterate and primary educated mothers. The measured values of obtained elements are compared with the certified values of Standard Reference and found to be compatible. This article provides an overview of the composition of human milk and sources of its variation pattern with them.