| dc.description.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. | id |
