Regular consumption of Nile river fish could ameliorate the low milk DHA of Southern Sudanese women living in Khartoum City area

We have reported that milk of Northern Sudanese women contained very low level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This was puzzling since the mothers were not malnourished and some had claimed to eat fish from time to time. War-displaced Southern Sudanese live in Khartoum City and its vicinity. They are distinct in genetic background and traditional dietary culture from the Northerners. Milk DHA is influenced by diet and ethnicity. Fatty acid content of Southern Sudanese milk, and six of the popular River Nile fish species were evaluated. Mature milk compared with transition milk had lower arachidonic (AA, 0.6±0.19 vs. 0.75±0.3; p<0.001), adrenic (0.14±0.1 vs. 0.33±0.23), osbond (0.07±0.05 vs. 0.14±0.08; p<0.0001), eicosapentaenoic (0.04±0.02 vs.0.08±0.07; p<0.01) and DHA (0.10±0.07 vs. 0.16±0.1; p=0.003) acids. The milk of the Southerners like their counterparts from the North had low DHA and total n-3 and high AA and total n-6 levels. Regular consumption of the local fish could provide adequate DHA to help enrich their milk.