What vitamins are missing in breast milk?

Understanding the Nutritional Gaps in Breast Milk
Breast milk is often hailed as the gold standard for infant nutrition, providing a perfect blend of nutrients essential for a baby’s growth and development. However, despite its many benefits, research indicates that breast milk does have some notable deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals, particularly in developed countries.
Key Vitamins Lacking in Breast Milk
1. Vitamin D: One of the most significant deficiencies in breast milk is vitamin D. This vitamin is crucial for bone health and immune function, yet breast milk typically contains insufficient amounts to meet an infant’s needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breastfed infants receive a daily vitamin D supplement of 400 IU to prevent deficiencies and support healthy growth .
2. Iodine: Iodine is another nutrient that is often found in low concentrations in breast milk. This mineral is essential for thyroid function and cognitive development. Insufficient iodine levels can lead to developmental issues in infants, making it important for breastfeeding mothers to ensure adequate iodine intake in their diets.
3. Iron: While breast milk contains some iron, it is not enough to meet the needs of growing infants, especially after the first six months of life. Iron is vital for the development of red blood cells and overall growth. As a result, pediatricians often recommend iron supplementation or the introduction of iron-rich foods as infants begin to transition to solid foods.
4. Vitamin K: Breast milk is also low in vitamin K, which plays a critical role in blood clotting. Newborns are typically given a vitamin K shot shortly after birth to prevent bleeding disorders, as their natural stores are low and breast milk does not provide sufficient amounts.
The Importance of Maternal Nutrition
The nutritional composition of breast milk can be influenced by the mother’s diet. While a well-balanced diet can help ensure that breast milk contains adequate levels of most nutrients, deficiencies in the mother’s intake can lead to lower concentrations of certain vitamins in her milk. For instance, maternal supplementation with vitamins A, D, and B vitamins can positively affect the levels of these nutrients in breast milk.
Conclusion
In summary, while breast milk is an excellent source of nutrition for infants, it is not without its shortcomings. Key vitamins such as vitamin D, iodine, iron, and vitamin K are often present in insufficient amounts, necessitating supplementation or dietary adjustments for breastfeeding mothers. Awareness of these gaps is crucial for ensuring that infants receive the comprehensive nutrition they need for healthy development.

Which mineral is missing in breast milk?

Results: Estimated breast-milk intakes during established lactation were insufficient to compensate for the lower milk sodium, copper, manganese, and zinc concentrations in male infants and the lower sodium, iron and manganese concentrations in female infants.

What nutrients is milk missing?

Also noteworthy – Milk is very low in these 8 nutrients:

• Vitamin E – 0.1mg – 1%
• Vitamin K – 0.5mcg – 1%
• Niacin – 0.3mg – 1%
• Sodium – 97.6mg – 4%
• Vitamin B6 – 0.1mg – 4%
• Folate – 12.2mcg – 3%
• Iron – 0.1mg – 0%
• Copper – 0.0mg – 1%

What negatively affects breast milk?

Stress is the No. 1 killer of breastmilk supply, especially in the first few weeks after delivery. Between lack of sleep and adjusting to the baby’s schedule, rising levels of certain hormones such as cortisol can dramatically reduce your milk supply.

Which vitamins are absent in milk?

Complete answer:
The vitamin that is not present in milk is Vitamin C . Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid (AA) or ascorbate. In many multicellular organisms, it acts as an essential nutrient that is required for the repair of worn-out tissues, and enzyme-based synthesis of neurotransmitters.

Does breast milk contain all vitamins?

Human milk provides the normative standard for infant nutrition. Nevertheless, many micronutrients vary in human milk depending on maternal diet and body stores (see article in this issue by Valentine and Wagner, 2012), including vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, D, and iodine.

What nutrient is not in breastmilk?

vitamin D
vitamin D – your baby will need more vitamin D than your breastmilk can supply, so your baby should be supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D per day for the first 12 months of life.’);})();(function(){window.jsl.dh(‘N2ZoZ9e5KZ2xwPAP4NSwiAI__32′,’

What vitamin dries up breast milk?

PIP: Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) is contained in most prenatal and multivitamin preparations. Available research states that pyridoxine blocks lactation and inhibits the secretion of breast milk in nursing mothers by suppressing the normally elevated prolactin hormone levels encountered during puerperium.

What vitamins does breastfeeding deplete?

Some breastfeeding mothers may not be able to absorb various vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12, folic acid (vitamin B9), iron, and calcium.

What vitamins are deficient in breast milk?

Poor maternal status of Group I nutrients, including thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, and choline used as examples in this review, causes the concentrations of these nutrients to be low in breast milk and the infant to become deficient.

What food value is missing in breast milk?

Vitamins and minerals
Although HBM is influenced by the diet in lactating women, in most cases, it contains enough vitamins to ensure normal growth of the infant [15]. However, vitamins D and K may be insufficient in infants who are exclusively breastfeeding and may require supplementation.