Several components of breast milk show circadian variability. It is likely that at least some of these macronutrients, hormones, and micronutrients produce circadian stimuli that enhance the well-being of breast-fed infants. Future research should determine whether high-risk infants benefit if breast milk is given during the same circadian phase as it was expressed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
GuntherM, StanierJE. Diurnal variation in the fat content of breast-milk. Lancet, 1949; 2:235–237.
2.
LubetzkyR, LittnerY, MimouniFB, et al.Circadian variations in fat content of expressed breast milk from mothers of preterm infants. J Am Coll Nutr, 2006; 25:151–154.
3.
LubetzkyR, MimouniFB, DollbergS, et al.Consistent circadian variations in creamatocrit over the first 7 weeks of lactation. Breastfeed Med, 2007; 2:15–18.
4.
Moran-LevH, MimouniFB, OventalA, et al.Circadian macronutrients variations over the first 7 weeks of human milk feeding of preterm infants. Breastfeed Med, 2015; 7:366–370.
5.
CuberoJ, ValeroV, SanchezJ, et al.The circadian rhythm of tryptophan in breast milk affects the rhythms of 6-sulfamethoxymelatonin and sleep in the newborn. Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 2005; 26:657–661.
6.
SinghRK, NakraVK, PandeyHN, et al.Studies on circadian periodicity of plasma, breast milk and urinary calcium in lactating Indian women. Trop Geogr Med, 1984; 36:345–349.
7.
KarraMV, KirkseyA. Variation in zinc, calcium, and magnesium concentrations of human milk within a 24-hour period from 1 to 6 months of lactation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 1988; 7:100–106.
8.
FeeleyRM, EitenmillerRR, JonesJBJr, et al.Calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium contents of human milk during early lactation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 1983; 2:262–267.
9.
GilliesME, NeillAE. Variations in the mineral concentrations in breast milk during a single nursing, diurnally and on consecutive days. Hum Nutr Appl Nutr, 1985; 39:370–375.
10.
HampelD, Shahab-FerdowsS, IslamMM, et al.Vitamin concentrations in human milk vary with time within feed, circadian rhythm, and single-dose supplementation. J Nutr, 2017; 147:603–611.
11.
BarkovaEN, NazarenkoEV, ZhdanovaEV. Diurnal variations in qualitative composition of breast milk in women with iron deficiency. Bull Exp Biol Med, 2005; 140:394–396.
12.
SanchezCL, CuberoJ, SanchezJ, et al.The possible role of human milk nucleotides as sleep inducers. Nutr Neurosci, 2009; 12:2–8.
13.
FlorisI, BillardH, BoquienCY, et al.MiRNA analysis by quantitative PCR in preterm human breast milk reveals daily fluctuations of has-miR-16-5p. PLoS One, 2015; 10:e0140488.
14.
Van der VoornB, de WaardM, van GoudoeverJB, et al.Breast-milk cortisol and cortisone concentrations follow the diurnal rhythm of maternal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. J Nutr, 2016; 146:2174–2179.
15.
PundirS, WallCR, MitchellCJ, et al.Variation of human milk glucocorticoids over 24 hour period. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia, 2017; 22:85–92.
16.
IllnerovaH, BuresovaM, PreslJ. Melatonin rhythm in human milk. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1993; 77:838–841.
17.
KatzerD, PauliL, MuellerA, et al.Melatonin concentrations and antioxidative capacity of human breast milk according to gestational age and the time of day. J Hum Lact, 2016; 32:NP105–NP110.
TouitouY, ReinbergA, TouitouD. Association between light at night, melatonin secretion, sleep deprivation, and the internal clock: Health impacts and mechanisms of circadian disruption. Life Sci, 2017; 173:94–106.
20.
ChoY, RyuSH, LeeBR, et al.Effects of artificial light at night on human health: A literature review of observational and experimental studies applied to exposure assessment. Chronobiol Int, 2015; 32:1294–1310.
21.
CuberoJ, NarcisoD, AparicioS, et al.Improved circadian sleep-wake cycle in infants fed a day/night dissociated formula milk. Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 2006; 27:373–380.
22.
CuberoJ, NarcisoD, TerronP, et al.Chrononutrition applied to formula milks to consolidate infants' sleep/wake cycle. Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 2007; 28:360–366.
23.
CuberoJ, ChanclonB, SanchezS, et al.Improving the quality of infant sleep through the inclusion at supper of cereals enriched with tryptophan, adenosine-5′-phosphate, and uridine-5′-phosphate. Nutr Neurosci, 2009; 12:272–280.
24.
OostermanJE, KalsbeekA, la FleurSE, et al.Impact of nutrients on circadian rhythmicity. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2015; 308:R337–R350.
25.
PotterGD, CadeJE, GrantPJ, et al.Nutrition and the circadian system. Br J Nutr, 2016; 116:434–442.
26.
RawashdehO, DubocovichML. Long-term effects of maternal separation on the responsiveness of the circadian system to melatonin in the diurnal nonhuman primate (Macaca mulatta). J Pineal Res, 2014; 56:254–263.