Assessment of Iron Content of Breast Milk in Preterm and Term Mothers in Enugu Urban

Background: It is commonly assumed that preterm babies are malnourished and this has led to all forms of micronutrient supplementation including iron. Objective:The aim of the study is to compare the iron content in breast milk of mothers who had preterm and term babies.Methods:Ninety six (96) lactating mothers who delivered their babies at term and 68 lactating mothers who had preterm deliveries were recruited for the study. The mothers were attending the postnatal clinic of one secondary and two tertiary healthcare facilities in Enugu. Breast milk iron concentration was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.Results:The differences in the mean values for the iron concentrations in preterm and term breast milk were statistically significant (39.06±10.78 versus 32.79±14.17 µmol/L, P =0.02). In both groups, the breast milk iron concentration gradually decreased as lactation progressed. (P <0.0001).Conclusion:The iron content of breast milk from mothers who had preterm babies is higher when compared to mothers who had term babies. It may thus be needless to introduce exogenous iron during lactation

Oxidative Stress and Glycaemic Control in Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Enugu; South-East Nigeria

Background: There is growing evidence that excess generation of highly reactive free radicals; largely due to hyperglycaemia causes oxidative stress; which further exacerbates the development and progression of type 2 diabetes and its complications. Objectives: In this study; the level of oxidative stress was compared with glycaemic control in type 2 diabetic patients. Method: Fifty confirmed type 2 diabetic patients; aged between 25 and 70 years were used for the study. 20 patients with good glycaemic control served as positive control while 20 apparently healthy non-diabetic age-matched individuals served as negative control. The FBS; MDA and HbA1c were determined in fasting blood samples using standard methods. Results: Patients with poor glycaemic control had significantly raised MDA and HbA1c (P =0.0001) when compared with non diabetics However; those with good glycaemic control only had a significant increase in the MDA when compared to non diabetic. (P =0.0001).).The MDA level when compared to fasting blood sugar (FBS) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) showed a positive correlation.( r= 0.77; P = 0.0001 and r=0.69; P = 0.0001 respectively) Conclusion: This study showed that both glycaemic control and lipid peroxidation are factors to be monitored or evaluated in the management of type2 diabetics to avoid the development of diabetic complications