Hong Kong mothers’ milk contains plenty of nutrients, researchers find, deeming it superior to formula

A frequently held concern among Hong Kong mothers that their breast milk is not nutritious enough for their babies appears to be misplaced, say the researchers behind a study that found it to be the best option for feeding babies age three and younger.

The study, which examined breast milk from 74 mothers, found 95 per cent of it contained the recommended level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which helps babies’ brains and vision develop.

The researchers found that the average level of DHA in the breast milk was more than twice the intake level of 13.4 milligrams per 100 millilitres of breast milk – or 100mg per day – recommended by the Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes 2013.

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“Mothers don’t need to worry,” said Wong Man-sau, deputy director of Polytechnic University’s Food Safety and Technology Research Centre, which conducted the study. “Breast milk is enough for infants’ development. The DHA in breast milk is also easier for babies to absorb than that in formulas. Breast milk is definitely the best for babies’ health.”

The research also showed that the medium level of DHA in the breast milk from participants who did not take dietary supplements – likely because they had more balanced diets – is even higher than those who took supplements.

Researchers at PolyU said the results indicated that breast milk would be sufficient in providing the nutrients infants would need and that a more balanced diet would be helpful in enriching breast milk.

They said many Hong Kong mothers preferred infant formula to breast milk because they worried about the nutrient levels of the milk they produced. In addition, the researchers said local healthcare professionals lacked a reference guide for the nutrient composition of local mothers’ breast milk.