Comparison of the fatty acid profile of Spanish infant formulas and Galician women breast milk

Abstract

The importance of dietary lipids during childhood is evident, as they are necessary for correct growth and development of the newborn. When breastfeeding is not possible, infant formulas are designed to mimic human milk as much as possible to fulfill infant's requirements. However, the composition of these dairy products is relatively constant, while human milk is not a uniform bio-fluid and changes according to the requirements of the baby. In this study, breast milk samples were donated by 24 Spanish mothers in different lactation stages and different infant formulas were purchased in supermarkets and pharmacies. Gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detection was used for the fatty acid determination. Compared to breast milk, first-stage formulas are apparently very similar in composition; however, no major differences were observed in the fatty acid profiles between formulas of different lactation stages. The Galician women breast milk has a fatty acid profile rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. When comparing human milk with formulas, it becomes evident that the manufacturers tend to enrich the formulas with essential fatty acids (especially with α-linolenic acid), but arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid levels are lower than in breast milk. Additionally, the obtained results demonstrated that after 1 year of lactation, human milk is still a good source of energy, essential fatty acids, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for the baby.

Keywords: ALA; Fatty acid; Human milk; Infant formula; LA; LC-PUFAs.