香港中文大学儿科学系 陈淑薇 由于对骨质疏松问题日渐关注,一般建议成年人每日需要摄取800毫克或以上的钙质,特别是孕妇乳母,更应多摄取钙质。传统上,中国人一向习惯低膳食钙的饮食模式,1995年在港进行的膳食调查指出,25~44岁的香港女性平均每日摄入560mg钙质[1]。由于骨骼及钙质代谢情况因各民族不同,及各地饮食文化有异[2,3,4,5],故香港乳母实际每日需要多少钙质仍是未知之数。除此之外,广东沿海地区的妇女在产后首月有“坐月子”的习俗,“坐月子”期间,传统建议妇女多进食一些食品,包括猪蹄、鸡、鸡蛋、红枣茶等,更建议食用“姜醋”,即将醋、猪蹄、姜、鸡蛋混合泡制而成的食品[6,7]。这种“坐月子”饮食对乳母骨及钙质代谢的影响是怎样,仍未有文献报道。现将部分有关乳母骨骼及钙质代谢情况的文献进行综合,以供读者参考。
1 钙质及其功能
钙质是人体内含量最多的矿物质之一,成人体内钙总量约1200g,其中约99%的钙集中在骨骼和牙齿,而余下的1%以游离或结合离子状态存在于软组织、细胞外液及血液中,后者与骨钙维持动态平衡。
钙构成骨和牙齿,缺乏时骨和牙齿会发育不良。钙亦有维持肌肉神经正常兴奋性的作用,血钙过高可抑制肌肉神经兴奋性,过低则令兴奋性过高而引起抽搐。钙有激活凝血“酶”原之效,促进凝血“酶”发挥凝血功能,亦对多种“酶”都有激活作用。人体内有多种荷尔蒙协调钙质的动态平衡,包括甲状旁腺素(parathyroid hormone)、降钙素(calcitonin)及维生素D。
2 母乳中钙质的含量
乳母体内的钙质负荷很高,乳母平均每天有200毫克在哺乳过程中流失[8],而研究指出,母乳中钙质含量根据地区性及种族有很大差异[9,10,11]。在一些非洲国家,母乳钙质含量可少于200mg/L,相反,在西方国家里,母乳钙质含量可高于300mg/L(表1)。如上所述,人体内99%的钙质储存于骨和牙齿,故乳母在哺乳期间所流失的钙质,可引致骨骼分解,从而对乳母的骨健康构成影响。
3 母乳喂养婴儿期间的骨质密度变化
文献指出,乳母的骨质密度在母乳哺乳期间有明显变化,而这些变化会因不同部位的骨骼成分而有异[12,13,14]。大部分有关文献指出,乳母的骨质密度在母乳哺乳初期(首三至六个月)明显减少,尤以腰椎(Lumbar spine)及股颈(Femoral neck)的流失最为显著,平均流失约4%至7%的骨质密度,而在核骨(radial)的及末梢(distal)的流失则较少,约少于5%,整体来说,母乳哺乳期的骨质密度流失率较绝经后妇女的还高[12-18]。
虽然如此,文献却指出,随着断奶期的出现,母乳喂养婴儿频率渐渐减少,乳母的骨质密度便开始回升至产后的原来水平[12,13,15]。这些研究多以一向有饮奶或进食奶类食品习惯的西方白人乳母为研究对象,但对于一些钙质摄取量较低的民族,其乳母的骨质密度变化又是否相同呢?
有鉴于此,Laskey等在位于非洲的冈比亚进行了类似研究。Laskey等共追踪了47名乳母和11名以配方喂养婴儿的妇女产后骨质密度、与钙质有关的生理指标及膳食钙摄取量的变化,并招募22名非怀孕及非母乳喂养婴儿的普通妇女作为对照组,测试点为产后初期(6~8周)及三个月。结果指出冈比亚妇女,不论任何一组,每天平均摄入300mg钙质。与配方喂养组及非怀孕及非母乳喂养婴儿的普通妇女对照组相比,乳母的腰椎及股颈骨质密度在首三个月分别流失4%及24%[19]。
表1 不同地区母乳中钙质的含量1(x±s)
虽然中国人口与冈比亚人口同样习惯于低钙膳食模式,但基于报告指出两者摄取钙质的食物来源、运动量、生活习惯及母乳喂养婴儿持续期各异[20,21,22,23],我们于1998年间亦在香港进行了有关研究。此研究共追踪了14名完全用母乳喂养婴儿达3个月或以上的乳母及9名以配方喂养婴儿妇女,在产后首年的骨质密度及钙质代谢变化,结果显示哺乳妇女组在产后首六个月的腰椎、股颈及转子(Trochanter)骨质密度显著下降,在产后十二个月骨质密度却回升至接近产后三天内的水平,复回率因人而异(图1及表2)。
综合来说,乳母在哺乳初期,因体内钙质随乳汁流失,骨质密度会明显下降,但这些流失属暂时性,在断乳后或哺乳频率减少后,骨质密度会渐渐回升到最初水平。
4骨质密度流失吗?
如前所述,乳母在哺乳期间,每天从体内平均流失约200mg的钙质,从而引致骨质密度的流失,故此,膳食标准多建议乳母需要较普通妇女摄入更多钙质。表3显示不同地区有关乳母膳食钙的建议,建议范围因地区及种族差别各异,介乎每天900至1500mg,平均较普通妇女每天多摄入0至750mg的钙质。同时,1997年于香港进行的膳食调查指出,年龄介乎25至44岁的香港女性每天平均摄入560mg钙质[1],但一般建议乳母需要增加钙质摄入至1200mg水平(相当于每天饮用约4杯鲜奶)。奶类食品在传统中国饮食文化上并不普遍[24,25,26],1995年Ko等指出,在198名介乎18至60岁的香港成年人里,五成以上的被访者每周饮奶的次数少于1次[27]。因此,对于一些低膳食钙的种族,乳母在哺乳期间的骨质密度流失是否与其低膳食钙摄入有关,而在此期间增加膳食钙的摄入对减少骨质密度流失有帮助吗?
近年有关报告指出,乳母在哺乳期间增加膳食钙的摄入,对于弥补或减低骨质密度流失的作用不大,更建议乳母无需在哺乳期间特别增加膳食钙的摄入量[28,29]。我们在1998年进行的有关研究中, 回归分析显示膳食钙摄取量不是影响产后骨质密度变化的因素,除此之外,相违于我们的假设,广东沿海地区的妇女在产后首月有“坐月子”的习俗,建议多进食的一些食品,包括猪蹄、鸡、鸡蛋、红枣茶及“姜醋”(即将醋、猪蹄、姜、鸡蛋混合泡而成的食品)等,亦非影响产后骨质密度变化的因素[30]。相反,产后喂养方式、母乳哺乳期长短、产后首次月经来潮、怀孕次数、妇女体重、血清甲状旁腺素及磷浓度、尿钙浓度与骨质密度变化有关(未发表资料)。虽然这些结果仍有待以补充研究(Supplementation Study)进一步证实,但初步结果与文献相符。
表2 乳母组的膳食钙摄取量及产后腰椎骨质密度百分比的变化
表3 不同地区膳食钙的建议摄取量(mg/d)
5总结
文献及我们的研究结果均显示,虽然乳母在哺乳过程有明显的骨质密度流失,但增加膳食钙摄入量却不能减低这些流失,而流失骨质密度的情况属暂时性。当中涉及的机制仍有待研究,近年的报告指出甲状旁腺素(parathyroid hormone)、降钙素(calcitonin)及维生素D这三种与钙质代谢有密切关系的激素,在母乳喂养期间的角色并不明显[19,31,33],相反,有其他因素影响乳母骨质密度及钙质代谢的变化,包括婴儿吸吮时的刺激、促乳素(prolactin)、性激素(sex hormones)、甲状旁腺素相关肽类(parathyroid hormone-related peptide)[31,32,33,34]。
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