Hospital Based Study on Estimation of Breast Milk Sodium Levels in Mothers Delivering Term and Preterm Babies

Introduction: Breastfeeding is crucial for maternal and infant health, offering complete nutrition. Sodium levels in breast milk naturally fluctuate during lactation, with a gradual decline in the first two weeks of a newborn's life, which is considered a normal physiological process. Objectives: This study aimed to determine if there is a difference in sodium levels in breast milk produced by mothers of preterm infants compared to those of full-term infants. Additionally, it sought to observe any postnatal changes in the sodium content of breast milk during the first week after birth for both groups of mothers. Methodology: The study was a retrospective, time-bound hospital-based investigation carried out at a tertiary care hospital in central Karnataka from January 2019 to September 2020. A total of 70 newborns were included. Breast milk samples were collected from the mothers daily from Day 1 to Day 7 postpartum, and sodium levels were analyzed. Results: On the seventh day postpartum, the mean sodium concentration in the breast milk of mothers of term infants was 19.9±2.8 mEq/L, while for mothers of preterm infants, it was 20.1±3 mEq/L. The difference in sodium concentrations between the two groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study concludes that there was no statistically significant difference in sodium concentrations in the breast milk of mothers of preterm versus term infants. Additionally, the variation in sodium levels over the first week postpartum was also found to be insignificant.