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. 2021 Jan 19;13(1):277.
doi: 10.3390/nu13010277.

Tandem Breastfeeding: A Descriptive Analysis of the Nutritional Value of Milk When Feeding a Younger and Older Child

Elena Sinkiewicz-Darol  1 , Urszula Bernatowicz-Łojko  1   2 , Katarzyna Łubiech  3 , Iwona Adamczyk  1   3 , Magdalena Twarużek  3 , Barbara Baranowska  2 , Krzysztof Skowron  4 , Diane L Spatz  5
Affiliations

Tandem Breastfeeding: A Descriptive Analysis of the Nutritional Value of Milk When Feeding a Younger and Older Child

Elena Sinkiewicz-Darol et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Breastfeeding is a gold standard of feeding of newborns and infants. Tandem breastfeeding (TBF) is feeding two children of different ages at the same time. The knowledge about the composition of human milk in prolonged lactation is still scarce. Milk from tandem breastfeeding women and after weaning was examined. Milk samples were collected from 13 TBF mothers. A 24-h milk collection was done. Analyses of fat, protein, carbohydrate and energy content were performed using MIRIS. Sociodemographic characteristics of TBF mothers was done. Higher fat content, energy value and total protein concentration was found in TBFM milk during tandem breastfeeding, than in milk after weaning the older child. The carbohydrate content remained stable. The composition of breastmilk, in terms of macronutrients, changes after weaning, taking into account the nutritional requirements of the younger child. The milk of nursing mothers in tandem did not show diurnal variability in individual components. These findings suggest an adaptive role of human milk to nutrient requirements of newborn and older children. The results may support the promotion of long breastfeeding, including tandem breastfeeding.

Keywords: child nutrition; extended lactation; long-nursing mothers; prolonged lactation; tandem breastfeeding; weaning.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Chart 1
Chart 1
Individual changes in total fat content. The weaning time is indicated by red circle, 1–10 monthly milk collection.
Chart 2
Chart 2
Individual changes in total protein content. The weaning time is indicated by the red circle, 1–10 monthly milk collection.
Chart 3
Chart 3
Individual changes in total carbohydrate content. The weaning time is indicated by the red circle, 1–10 monthly milk collection.
Chart 4
Chart 4
Individual changes in energy value. The weaning time is indicated by the red circle, 1–10 monthly milk collection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Tandem Breastfeeding.
    Spatz DL. Spatz DL. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2023 Nov-Dec 01;48(6):343. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000958. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2023. PMID: 37840206 No abstract available.

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