Is Aflatoxin More in the Milk of Lactating Mothers Who Have Previously Had COVID-19?

Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat. Breastfeeding has many health benefits for both the mother and infant. Breast milk contains all the nutrients an infant needs in the first six months of life. The present study aimed to measure aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) levels in breast milk and identify nutritional and socio-demographic factors associated with AFM1 levels.

This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess AFM1 levels in the breast milk of 100 mothers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 20 of whom had COVID-19 in the past 4 months during June 2020-March 2021. The participants were given a questionnaire to answer nutritional and socio-demographic questions, such as age, place of residence, COVID-19, educational status, employment status, and body mass index (BMI).

The mean age of mothers was 29.1 ± 4.9 years. Based on the results, 39/100 samples had AFM1 more than 5 ng/l, and all 20 mothers who previously had COVID-19 had AFM1 in their milk. The mean AFM1 was 7.10 ng/l and ranged 5.37–9.01 ng/l. Consumption of milk and yogurt also significantly increased AFM1 in milk. Moreover, place of residence and BMI and COVID-19 had a statistically significant effect on the presence of AFM1.

The AFM1 contamination was significantly associated with the consumption of milk and yogurt by the lactating mother. Breastfeeding mothers should be careful in their food intake and try to fit their BMI. The presence of aflatoxin in the lactating mothers who previously had COVID-19 indicates that their children are more vulnerable.