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Pregnancy and Birth to 24 Months Systematic Review

Systematic Review Question

What is the relationship between maternal diet during lactation on flavor transfer to breast milk, children's behavioral response, and dietary intake?

Conclusion Statement

Moderate evidence indicates that flavor volatiles originating from the maternal diet during lactation transmit to and flavor breast milk in a time-dependent manner as determined by chemical and sensory measures. Evidence indicates flavor transfer to human breast milk occurs after lactating mothers ingest alcohol, anise, caraway, carrots, eucalyptus, garlic, and mint flavors.

Grade: Moderate 

Conclusion Statement and Grades

Moderate evidence also indicates that infants can detect diet-transmitted flavors in mother’s milk as evidenced by differential response to flavors they have previously been exposed to through their mother’s milk when compared with infants who did not have previous exposure.  Differential infant behavioral response was found: 1) within hours of a single maternal ingestion of flavor (alcohol, garlic, vanilla); 2) within days after their lactating mothers ingested a flavor (garlic, carrot juice) repeatedly (daily for 3 or 7 days); and 3) several months after their lactating mothers ingested the flavor (variety of vegetable juices including carrot) during 1 to 4 months postpartum.

Grade: Moderate 

Conclusion Statement and Grades

No conclusion can be drawn to describe the relationship between maternal diet during lactation and toddler dietary intake, since there was no research identified to answer this question.

Grade: Grade Not Assignable