Jerrymae R Blasurca
West Visayas State University Medical Center, Philippines
Title: Cotinine levels in breast milk of exclusively breastfeeding mothers using high-performance liquid chromatography
Biography
Biography: Jerrymae R Blasurca
Abstract
Objective: The aim is to determine the levels of cotinine in breast milk of exclusively breastfeeding mothers using high-performance liquid chromatography.
Method: This is a cross-sectional analytical study design involving the quantitative determination of cotinine from breast milk of breastfeeding postpartum mother. The breast milk samples were collected at the Pediatric Out-Patient Department of West Visayas State University Medical Center. The measurement of cotinine levels using high-performance liquid chromatography was done at the ChemPro Analytical Services Laboratories, Inc. All postpartum exclusively breastfeeding mothers aged 19-45 years old who delivered to full term, healthy infants at the West Visayas State University Medical Center from March 1 to May 31, 2018 were included. Cotinine levels in breast milk in nanogram per milliliters (ng/ml).
Results: Active smokers had significantly higher mean cotinine levels (217.55 ng/ml) when compared to passive smokers (44.7 ng/ml) and non-smokers (18.38 ng/ml). Data analysis showed that as the degree of smoking exposure increases, the cotinine levels in the breast milk also increases.
Conclusion: The breast milk cotinine was able to indicate the quantity of non-passive and active smoking maternal exposure. Evidence suggests that breast milk contains a significant amount of cotinine which can help determine the degree of smoking exposure in breastfeeding mothers. Even though smoking by the mother is still not a contraindication for feeding infants as the benefits far outweighs the risks, the results of this research can be used in planning population-based studies and strengthen health education programs on smoking prevention, smoking reduction and smoking cessation in homes, public areas and workplaces.