Annual Nursing Congress: The Art of Care

Background & Aim: The Mediterranean Diet (RM) was likened to olive oil consumption which contains no α-Linolenic Acid (ALA) precursor of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and only brings the precursor of the line n-6 Linoleic Acid (LA). The latest recommendations are designed to increase intakes of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) n-3, especially DHA, which with Arachidonic Acid (ARA) are essential to the neurosensory development of the newborn. The study aims to evaluate the effect of RM made of olive oil and 2/week fatty fish (mackerel 170 gr) on composition of breast milk lipids, in 80 lactating women for 15 days and for 30 days in a sub-group of 22 patients.

 

Method: Prospective, nutrition intervention, multi centric study. The Human Milk (HM) fatty acid (mature HM: 1-3 months nursing, taken in the morning between 8-10 hours) was determined by transesterification direct and analyzed by GC-FID and compared by ANOVA. Dietary surveyed were analyzed by the BILNUT software.
 

Result: From D15 RM, the rate of ALA is significantly decreased (0.96% to 0.75% of total Fatty Acids (FA)); the DHA significantly increased by 66% (from 0.29 to 0.44% FA), while ARA remains stable (0.36% FA). The surveys of food show that, feeding our population is normal-caloric, normal protein intake, high fat and slightly hypo-carbohydrate. Similarly, there is a

low intake of water, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and vitamin A, D, E, foliate, B5 and B6.
 

Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of consuming oily fish 2/week. This is not oil olive (which does not contain ALA, DHA precursor) that increases the DHA milk, but the consumption of two times week of mackerel (500 mg/day of DHA).