were recruited from a well baby and mother clinic. They were all at least 2 mo
postpartum, did not smoke, and were not taking any medications.
All participants signed informed consent forms according to the regulations
of the Israeli Ministry of Health. The mothers were able to contact the investigators
throughout the study concerning medical and nutritional issues. Five
mothers did not complete the study: three because they found the fresh carrot
mash unpalatable and two because they consumed other foods containing
lycopene. Twelve women from the “carrot group” and 14 women from the “tomato
group” finished the study.
All women were healthy volunteers over 22 y of age. They were asked to
complete nutritional assessment forms, which were gone over by a professional
nutritionist and were found to be adequate according to the recommended daily
allowances for lactating women. Blood was drawn from all participants for
complete blood count; electrolytes; lipid profile; kidney and liver function tests;
and folic acid, iron, and vitamin B12 levels, and all were found to be within the
normal range.
All babies were at least 8 wk of age. They were all healthy, underwent a
normal pregnancy and labor, and were thriving. A complete physical examination,
performed by a pediatric specialist, came back normal for all babies.