Selenium and human lactation in Australia: milk and blood selenium levels in lactating women, and selenium intakes of their breast-fed infants

A series of 20 mother-infant pairs were studied in Brisbane, Australia, at 6–12 weeks postpartum. The mean selenium concentration in maternal blood was 101 (SD±19) ng/g and in maternal serum 81 (± 15) ng/g; serum values appeared low in comparison with those reported for lactating women from Japan and the USA, but similar to those from Finland and from a previous Australian study. Breast milk selenium concentrations (11.9 ± 3.5 ng/g) were also low by international standards, but not as low as in New Zealand or Scandinavia. There was no correlation between selenium concentrations in milk and blood (or serum). The infants' 24-h breast-milk intakes were 856 ± 172 g, and their 24-h selenium intakes 10.7 ± 4.1 μg (compared to the Australian RDI of 10 μg).