Human Milk, Nutrition and Infant Development

Download or read book Human Milk, Nutrition and Infant Development written by Claude Billeaud and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-12-13 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Breast milk is the model for infant feeding. Human milk is composed of a thousand substances, some of which have the function of nutrients, with others (the most numerous) having bioactive properties. Breast milk composition differs between mothers due to maternal background, immunity, nutrition, lifestyle, and other confounding factors. In addition, the same mother’s milk composition varies over time; colostrum contains the highest level of active proteins compared to transitional and mature breast milk to provide maximal immunity to the newborn. Indeed, the levels of bioactive proteins and macronutrients are higher in preterm milk than in full-term milk to promote their development and compensate for their immaturity. Breast milk composition is also affected by the mother’s diet. Although milk proteins and carbohydrates are only slightly influenced, there is a strong correlation between dietary lipids and breast milk, as well as minerals, vitamins, and trace elements. Besides these factors, other situations, globally considered as the “exposome”, can have also an influence on human milk composition. But it is an endless challenge when a new component is discovered in the mother’s milk, to determine its exact role.