Abstract
The changes of vitamin A contents of transitional (7th day postpartum) and mature (60th day postpartum) milk were comparatively studied from 20 Korean lactating women to provide the basic information for recommended dietary allowances. The mean retinol contents($\mu\textrm{g}$/100$m\ell$) of transitional milk in primiparae and multiiparae were 79.71 (${\pm}$50.61) and 73.43(${\pm}$31.02) and those of mature milk in primiparae and multiparae were 44.73(${\pm}$19.03) and 38.25(${\pm}$17.63) respectively. The mean ${\beta}$-carotene contents ($\mu\textrm{g}$/100$m\ell$) of transitional milk in primiparae and multiparae were 10.44(${\pm}$7.43) and 14.15(${\pm}$11.81) and those of mature milk in primiparae and multiparae were 4.97(${\pm}$2.22) and 5.36(${\pm}$4.23) respectively. The total content of vitamin A($\mu\textrm{g}$/100$m\ell$) in transitional milk was 81.44(${\pm}$ 51.47) in primiparae and 75.79(${\pm}$31.99) in multiparae, and those of mature milk in primiparae and multiparae were 45.56(${\pm}$19.12) and 39.14(${\pm}$17.73) respectively. The vitamin A content decreased with increase of lactation period. The mean content of vitamin A between primiparae and multiparae during lactation was not significantly different (p>0.05) However, there was a significant difference in the total vitamin A contents according to lactation period. The average content($\mu\textrm{g}$/100$m\ell$) of retinol in lactating mothers delivered boys and girls were 74.45 (${\pm}$43.84) and 78.96(${\pm}$35.98) in transitional milk, 40.27(${\pm}$16.61) and 42.51(${\pm}$21.22) in mature milk, respectively. However, no significant difference was found between retinol contents contentscontentsin lactating mothers delivered boys and girls. The average contents($\mu\textrm{g}$/100$m\ell$) of ${\beta}$-carotene in lactating mothers delivered boys and girls were 11.34(${\pm}$4.27) in mature milk. The contents($\mu\textrm{g}$/100$m\ell$) of total vitamin A was significantly different (p<0.05) between transitional and mature milk the difference of total vitamin A content between lactating mothers delivered boys and girls. and primiparae and multiparae was not significant(p>0.05) As a result the contents of vitamin A, retinol and ${\beta}$-carotene in transitional and mature milk decreased according to the increase of lactation period.