maternal diet
Last reviewed 01/2018
The maternal diet should be well balanced with adequate calorific and fluid intake.
- daily energy requirement is between 450 to 500 kcal which can be met by a modest increase in a normally balanced varied diet
In order to guarantee a sufficient concentration of preformed DHA in the milk, maternal daily diet should include 200 to 300 mg of the ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]).
- 1 to 2 portions of fish (eg, herring, canned light tuna, salmon) per week will provide the necessary amount
- a supplement of DHA as well as multivitamins may be required for poorly nourished mothers or those on selective vegan diets
No special foods have been shown to enhance milk production.
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