Zinc Composition in Breast Milk of Lactating Mothers in Urban and Sub-urban Areas in Rivers State

Breast milk includes complex proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and other components that are physiologically active. The composition varies both throughout the lactation period and over a single meal. Zinc is an essential micronutrient of proper development and growth. The aim of this study is to compare breast milk zinc composition between breastfeeding mothers in urban and sub-urban areas in Rivers State. The study was conducted among 59 postpartum subjects between 0 and 10days of child delivery in each group. Sampling was done through a simple random sampling method. Human breast milk was collected using a manual breast pump and analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) for the analysis of zinc concentration. Result revealed that there was a significant difference in zinc level between both groups (p<0.05). This work has shown that zinc composition in breast milk of postpartum women vary based on urban and sub-urban settlements.