Selenium in mature human milk

Abstract

Selenium analyses were carried out in 39 samples of mature human milk collected from two groups of nursing mothers in the United States (Iowa City, Iowa) and Europe (Athens, Greece). All samples contained selenium in amounts ranging between 0.010 and 0.037 ppm. The mean selenium concentrations in the samples from the mothers in Iowa City and Athens were identical, that is, 0.020 ppm. The results of the study demonstrate that selenium is a normal constituent of human milk.