VITAMIN E IN HUMAN MILK AND ITS RELATION TO THE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENT OF THE TERM NEWBORN

To determine the alpha-tocopherol concentration in breast milk at different periods of lactation and to estimate the possible supply of vitamin E to the infant. A longitudinal observational study was carried out with 100 mothers at University Hospital Ana Bezerra (HUAB), at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, in Santa Cruz (RN), Northeast Brazil. Samples of colostrum (n=100), transitional milk (n=77), and mature milk (n=63) were collected. Alpha-tocopherol was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Vitamin supply to the newborn was estimated by comparing the nutritional requirement of vitamin E (4 mg/day) with the potential daily intake of milk. The mean alpha-tocopherol concentration found in colostrum, transitional, and mature milk was 40.5±15.0 µmol/L, 13.9±5.2 µmol/L, and 8.0±3.8 µmol/L, respectively (p