A change in the concentration of some macronutrients in tbreast milk when expressing with an electric breast pump

Objective. To investigate the levels of essential nutrients (fat, protein, lactoses), as well as the energy value of milk when expressing the latter with an electric breast pump at vacuum and when using the vacuum and squeezing pulses simultaneously. Materials and methods. The 10-ml expressed breast milk samples obtained from 9 women at 5-8 weeks of lactation using a Lactopulse device were investigated in two milk expression modes: at vacuum only and at vacuum and squeezing simultaneously. The sample continuity was ensured by a specially developed procedure. The content of the essential nutrients in the milk samples was determined using a Miris AB Uppsala milk analyzer (Sweden) at 1-1.5 hours after milk expressing. Results. The fat content increased in each subsequent milk sample and this in the last samples was 2-3 times higher than that in the initial ones. During squeezed vacuum expression, the total amount of fat removed was about 25% more than during vacuum breast milk expression only. When determining the concentration of protein in the milk samples, there was also a 10-20% increase in its concentration after milk pumping. Unlike the content of fat and protein, that of carbohydrates did not change during expressing breast milk. Conclusion. The method has been developed to analyze the nutrients of milk during its continuous removal from the gland. Surveys have shown that the use of vacuum stimuli or squeezing stimuli in the milk pump increases the amount of fat and protein in the expressed milk.

lactation, milk expression, electric breast pumps with a compression component, milk macronutrients