Dietary intakes of energy and macronutrients by lactating women of different ethnic groups living in Yakutia.

Background: There should be a substantial increase in the intake of dietary energy, protein and other nutrients by lactating women, though these special increments can be different in different ethnic groups.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of maternal ethnicity and diet on the quality of breast milk and its potential effect on early childhood development.

Design: A total of 185 mothers (150 Native and 35 Russian) living in settlements and small towns of rural Yakutia and 54 mothers (26 Native and 28 Russian) living in Yakutsk were surveyed and average food intake was recorded during 3 successive days before the survey was analyzed.