Trace element content of breastmilk from mothers of preterm infants in Nigeria.

Copper, zinc and iron contents were determined in samples of breastmilk obtained from 15 women who gave birth preterm and 20 women who delivered at term. Copper levels in mothers of preterm babies fell from 0.54 microgram/ml in colostrum to 0.30 microgram/ml at the eighth week of lactation while the levels of mothers of term babies fell from 0.34 to 0.27 microgram/ml. Zinc levels fell from 7.14 to 5.36 microgram/ml and from 5.98 to 3.93 microgram/ml. respectively. Iron levels fell from 1.05 to 0.70 microgram/ml and from 0.56 to 0.43 microgram/ml. It appears that breastmilk from mothers giving birth to preterm babies contains significantly higher levels of copper, zinc and iron during the early lactation period when compared to mothers of term babies.