Discuss the Nutritional qualities of breast milk

Colostrum
This is a thick yellow first fluid made by the human breasts and is produced for a few
days to a week after birth. Colostrum contains antibodies and immune system cells
such as lymphocytes some of which pass unaltered through the immature GI tract of
the infant into the blood stream. These immune factors and cells protect the infant
from gastrointestinal diseases and other infectious disorders compensating for its own
immature immune system during the first few months of life. Various growth factors
and other compounds in breastmilk also contribute to the health of the infant.
Colostrum facilitates the passage of meconium, a first thick mucus like stool passed
after birth by the infant. The composition of human milk gradually changes until
several days after delivery resulting in mature milk. Mature human milk has
impressive nutritional qualities and is nearly a complete food for infants. Let’s
consider several of its constituents.

Carbohydrates
Nearly all the carbohydrate in milk is lactose. Lactose provides 42% of calories in
breast milk and only 30% of calories in cow’s milk. Therefore cow’s milk is inferior
in this light. To compensate for the low carbohydrate in cows milk formula are
prepared with additional carbohydrates. Lactose in breast milk has many advantages:
- it facilitates the absorption of calcium and magnesium
- it favours the absorption and retention of nitrogen
- it creates an acid environment in the intestines by stimulating the growth of
acid-producing bacteria
- it also provides galactose for nerve sheath synthesis.

Proteins
Proteins provide 6-7% of the calories in human milk and 20% of the calories in the
cow’s milk. This large amount of proteins in cow’s milk stresses the infant’s kidney
to excrete end products of protein catabolism such as urea. Lacto albumin, the main
protein in human milk forms a soft, light curd in the infant’s stomach easing
digestion. The lactoferrin proteins bind iron, reducing the growth of iron-requiring
bacteria, many of which cause diarrhea. The immunoglobulin proteins (antibodies)
offer important immune protection. Human breast milk is noted for its low
concentration of the amino acid phenylalanine, which the infant has limited ability to
metabolize. Human milk has a high concentration of taurine, which is needed for
synthesis of bile salts that aid lipid digestion.

Lipids
Lipids provide 50% of the calories in both human and cow’s milk. The lipids in
human breast milk are high in linoleic acid, which provides 4% of calories in breast
milk and only 1% in the cow’s milk. The cholesterol content of human milk is 7-47
mg/dl and 10-35mg/dl in the cow’s milk. Cholesterol is needed for brain
development. Human milk also contains long-chain omega 3 fatty acids, such as
docosahexaenoic (DHA). This unsaturated fatty acid is used for synthesis of tissues in
the brain, the rest of the central nervous system and the eyes. The fat composition of
breast milk changes in the course of each feeding. When an infant begins to nurse, the
initial milk called fore milk resembles skim milk and this milk represents about 60%
of the total volume consumed in a feeding. After a period of nursing, the milk
released called hind milk represents about 35% of the total volume and has a higher
fat content. Therefore infants need to nurse long enough at least 20 or more minutes to
get the energy in this fat-rich milk to be satisfied between feedings and to grow well.

Vitamins
Water soluble vitamins in breast milk reflect the mother’s diet. Cow’s milk contains
adequate B complex vitamin but has little vitamin C. Both human and cow’s milk
provide adequate vitamin A. Human milk is richer in vitamin E and contains some
vitamin D.

Minerals
Although human milk is low in iron, about 50% of it is absorbed, compared to 2-30%
for typical foods. The infant needs another source of iron by the age of six months. By
that age the infants iron stores formed in utero are probably depleted. The
bioavailability of zinc in breast milk is higher than in cow’s milk. The cow’s milk
contains 3 times as much of calcium, 6 times as much of phosphorous, 2 times as
much of fluorine and 3 times as much of sodium than breast milk. Breast milk has low
sodium content to the benefit of the infants’ kidneys which have difficult handling
excess sodium.

Water
An infant that is exclusively breastfed will be adequately hydrated

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Titany answered the question on November 8, 2021 at 07:16