Abstract:
Zinc deficiency of pregnant women in Indonesia particularly in villages has
been identified from several researches. It could not only interfere with born baby's health
but also with the content of breast mille, the best quality food for baby. Nutritional
improvement strategy through simultaneous multi-nutrient supplementation to pregnant
women may increase zinc content and other mineral in breast milk produced. The objective
of the study wais to investigate the influence of Zn-multi-nutrients biscuit supplementation
received by mothers during pregnancy, controlling for obedience to and period of
supplement consumption, period of breastfeeding, hemoglobin concentration, body weight,
Zn-status and nutrition consumption Zn content in breast milk. The experimental design of
the study was a double blind randomized trial in which three groups of totally 124 mothers
with various period of breastfeeding (period of 0-4 months) ,aged 20-35 years, previously
during their pregnancy, each were assigned to receive different biscuit formula supplement
of multi-nutrients (0,9 mgfolic acid. 976,5 RE vitamin A, 50 mg vitamin C, 36 mgferrous),
multi-nutrients + Zn (+ 15 mg Zn), and control (biscuit formula without multi-nutrients),
every two days since the second trimester of pregnancy until delivery (3 to 5 months).
Findings showed that multi-nutrient + Zn biscuit formula, supplemented to pregnant mothers
with very low Zn consumption level (l/5'h of the recommended consumption for pregnant
woman) controlling for additional covariates did not have substantial influence on Zn
content in breast milk. However, there were two covariates i.e. period of breastfeeding and
period of supplementation that significantly influence Zn content in breast milk. Breast milk
produced during 0-1 month ofbreastfeeding, contained the highest concentration ofZn and
then went down with increasing duration of breastfeeding up to 5 months. The longer the
duration of supplementation was the higher Zn was in breast milk. Effective period of
supplementation was between 27-90 days.
