Explain the Nutrient Requirements during Lactation?
Maternal nutrient requirements during the period of lactation include requirements for maintenance and activity and in addition, the amount of nutrients secreted in human milk. The latter would generally be determined from the yield and composition produced by healthy women with adequate lactation.
Hence, you will realize that needs of women relate to the volume of milk produced. It is important to remember however that the requirement for a nutrient will be greater than the amount secreted in milk because the transfer of energy and nutrients from diet to milk is not 100% efficient. In practice, the mother subsidizes lactation from the nutrient stores she has laid down during pregnancy and if not, by the loss of body tissues. Specific requirements during lactation for many nutrients have not been extensively investigated. The RDIs are generally based on allowances for the non-pregnant, non-lactating woman plus the amount secreted in the milk. You will need to remember that it is assumed that the mother is more than 18 years old, and she herself is no longer growing.