Why is colustrum important to the newborn?
1 Answer
New borns have very immature and small digestive system and the colostrum delivers its nutrients in a very concentrated low volume form.
Explanation:
Colostrum is a form of milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals during pregnancy.
It has a mild laxative effect, encouraging the passing of the baby's first stool. This clears excess bilirubin, a waste product of dead red blood cells, which is produced in large quantities at birth and helps to prevent jaundice.
The colostrum contains antibodies to protect the newborn against diseases. Other important components of colostrum include the major components of the innate immune system eg. lactoferins and lysosomes.
A number of cytokines are found in the colostrum aswell including interleukins and tumor necrosis factors.
In general protein concentration in colustrum is substantially higher than that of milk.
It also contains a number of growth factors.
