Impact of Maternal Moringa oleifera Leaf Supplementation on Milk and Serum Vitamin A and Carotenoid Concentrations in a Cohort of Breastfeeding Kenyan Women and Their Infants

Childhood vitamin A deficiency leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Human milk is the only source of vitamin A for exclusively breastfed infants. Dried leaf powder (moringa) is a good food source of provitamin A and other carotenoids. Its effect during lactation on human milk vitamin A and carotenoid content is unclear. Our objective was to investigate the effect of maternal moringa consumption on human milk retinol and carotenoid concentrations and maternal and infant vitamin A status. Methods: We conducted a 3-month pilot single-blinded cluster-randomized controlled trial in breastfeeding mother-infant pairs (n = 50) in Kenya. Mothers received corn porridge with (20 g/d) or without moringa with complete breast expressions and maternal and infant serum collected at enrollment (infant