1From Department of Human Nutrition, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan.
2From Division of Food and Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA.
Urinary lactose, creatinine and lactose/creatinine ratios were measured in 9 lactating mothers (at 1, 2, and 3 months postpartum) and 13 non-lactating women. Urinary lactose and creatinine were measured using commercially available kits. Mean urinary lactose content was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in lactating mothers than in non-lactating women (2.5 ± 1.8 vs 0.07 ± 0.05 nmol/L). Similarly, mean lactose/creatinine ratios were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in lactating mothers than in non-lactating women (0.31 ± 0.17 vs. 0.01 ± 0.01). The creatinine contents of lactating and non-lactating women were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Increased breastfeeding frequency (7.4 ± 1.7 times/day) resulted in increased lactose/creatinine ratios in lactating women. It is concluded that lactose creatinine ratios can be used for the estimation of lactation performance in lactating mothers.
Keywords: Lactation performance, lactose, creatinine, ratio.