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Maternal diets remain largely unchanged during the first four months of lactation, although alcohol consumption increases and dairy intake declines.
Breastfeeding remains the preferred source of infant nutrition and continues to play a critical role in supporting healthy growth and immune development. Maternal dietary habits during lactation are increasingly recognized for their influence on human milk composition and their possible role in shaping infants’ susceptibility to conditions such as eczema and food allergies.
Anneke H. Hellinga and the group of researchers aimed to investigate how maternal dietary intake changed across the lactation period and also evaluated whether breastfeeding behavior, infant feeding practices, and maternal work status influenced these dietary patterns. A nested substudy was carried out within the PRIMA prospective birth cohort to assess dietary changes among lactating mothers. Dietary intake was examined using food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) administered at two and four months after childbirth.
Linear mixed-model analyses were applied to examine longitudinal changes in food group and nutrient intake, with additional consideration of breastfeeding exclusivity, mixed feeding practices, and employment status. A total of 226 lactating mothers participated, while 170 completed dietary assessments at both time points. The researchers observed that :
The study concluded that maternal diets during lactation remained largely stable, with notable shifts seen mainly in alcohol and dairy intake. Feeding practices significantly influenced dairy consumption, emphasizing the need to consider postpartum dietary changes when studying human milk composition and infant allergy risk.
TSG - Tijdschrift voor gezondheidswetenschappen
Dietary shifts during lactation: a prospective birth cohort
Anneke H. Hellinga et al.
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