α-Tocopherol in breast milk of women with preterm delivery after a single postpartum oral dose of vitamin E.

We evaluated the effect of maternal vitamin E supplementation on the alpha-tocopherol concentrations of colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk of women who had given birth prematurely. This longitudinal randomised-controlled trial divided eighty-nine women into two groups: a control group and a supplemented group. Blood and breast milk were collected from all the participants after delivery. Next, each woman in the supplemented group received 400 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate. Further breast milk samples were collected 24 h after the first collection, as well as 7 and 30 d after delivery. alpha-Tocopherol concentrations were determined by HPLC. The baseline alpha-tocopherol concentrations in the maternal serum of the two groups were similar: 1159.8 (SD 292.4) mu g/dl (27.0 (SD 6.8) mu mol/l) for the control group and 1128.3 (SD 407.2) mu g/dl (26.2 (SD 9.5) mu mol/l) for the supplemented group. None of the women was vitamin E deficient. Breast milk alpha-tocopherol concentrations increased by 60% 24 h after supplementation in the intervention group and did not increase at all in the control group. alpha-Tocopherol concentration of the transitional milk in the supplemented group was 35% higher compared with the control group. alpha-Tocopherol concentrations of the mature milk in both groups were similar. Maternal supplementation with 400 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopherol increased the vitamin E concentrations of the colostrum and transitional milk, but not of the mature milk. This study presents relevant information for the design of strategies to prevent and combat vitamin E deficiency in the risk group of preterm infants.