Determination of 12 Minerals in Human Milk by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry: a GEHM Study of Three Global Cohorts through the First Year of Lactation

Elemental composition of human milk may be influenced by several factors, including dietary intake and genetic background, though variation in milk content over lactation and by geographic region has not been well characterized. A newly validated simultaneous method allows rapid and accurate determination of concentrations for 12 elements, P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mo, Cr, and Se, in human milk via inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). As part of the Global Exploration of Human Milk (GEHM) collaboration, human milk collected during the first year of lactation from three global cohorts (Mexico City, Mexico, Shanghai, China, and Cincinnati, United States) was analyzed at 4, 26 and 52 weeks lactation. Samples underwent acidic microwave digestion followed by ICP-MS quantification, and analysis included suppression of known polyatomic interferences using collision cell technology. Milk from distinct geographic regions exhibited similar mineral concentrations as well as temporal pattern...