Colostrum is referred as the first milk, which is secreted from the mammary gland after parturition. It has seen that infants have a premature physiological system when they are born thus proper nutrition should be provided to them for supporting their growth as well as development and colostrum is considered as an ideal food for them, which promotes their optimum growth.

Characteristics

• It is yellowish in colour
• It is nutrient dense and highly concentrated
• It is relatively easy to digest
• It is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, growth hormones and immunoglobulins that help to boost up the passive immunity among infants
• It contains comparatively more nutrients than regular milk

Releasing time

It has seen that mother’s body produces colostrum immediate after delivery and colostrum is secreted for 3 to 4 days after parturition. It is then eventually converted into mature milk.

Composition of Colostrum

Colostrum is made up of three main components, which are listed below –

Immune factors

These factors include, oligosaccharide, lactoferin, polypeptide, lacto albumin, lysozymes, cytokines, IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, IgM

Nutritional factors

These factors include – proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and hormones

Growth factors

These factors include – EGF, PDGF, VEGF TGF (alpha), TGF (beta), IGF1

Transition from colostrum to mature milk

After 3 to 4 days of releasing colostrum, a mother can feel her breasts relatively fuller and firmer. Then the lactating mother eventually produces transitional milk instead of colostrum, which is creamier in texture and white in colour

Why colostrum is so much important for new born?

• It should be fed to infants after birth as it provides every essential nutrient to the baby in concentrated form that gives them proper nourishment
• It also exerts laxative effect that aids in the first bowel movement of baby
• It contains numerous living cells like macrophages, lymphocytes, which are associated with making the baby’s immune system stronger
• It has seen that the intestine of an infant is extremely leaky. Colostrum plays significant role in sealing those respective holes within gastrointestinal tract and helps to prevent the penetration of foreign proteins within gut hence it helps to protect the baby from food allergies
• It is considered as the first immunization of infants that helps to protect them from infection as it is significantly rich in secretory immunoglobulin A (antibody)

• It contains adequate amount of calcium, zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, which play imperative role in the overall growth as well as development of infants
• Consumption of colostrum is extremely useful for low birth weight babies as it helps to promote weight gain and prevents failure to thrive (FTT) as well
• It has also seen that preterm infants who receive oropharyngeal administration of colostrum comparatively achieve their feed goal sooner
• It is considered as the optimum feed for infants that is related with supporting early nutrition

Health benefits           

Role on supporting infant growth

• It is significantly rich in proteins especially in lacto albumin, which plays imperative role in supporting the growth and development of infants
• It contains carbohydrate as well. Carbohydrate of colostrum helps to provide energy to the infant and also promotes their brain development as brain only utilizes glucose as energy
• Its fat content plays significant role in promoting the growth and development of cardio vascular system and nervous system
• It contains high amount of Vitamin A for which the colostrum has a yellowish colour. It is closely related with promoting eye health and vision
• Magnesium content of colostrum plays significant role in developing skeletal system as well as improves cardiac functionality

• Zinc is an important trace element found in colostrum that plays vital role in maturing infant’s body. It is very effective for improving their brain functions. Zinc is also associated with strengthening their immune system
• It contains various growth factors that help them to achieve their optimum growth spurt
• It also contains several hormones that also support their growth

Role on digestive health

• Colostrum is rich in numerous growth factors as well as immunologic substances, which act as prebiotic and its consumption is closely related with synthesizing beneficial microbes within infant’s gut
• It also helps to promote the growth of the protective mucus membrane in infant’s intestine
• It helps to promote the growth of intestinal cells as well
• It also helps to prevent leaking out of materials from the intestine of infants by regulating their intestinal permeability
• It is very effective for preventing diarrhoea among infants

Role on immunity

• It plays significant role in strengthening the immune system of infants as it contains numerous immunological substances
• It contains various immunoglobulins such as IgG, IgA, IgE, IgM, IgD, which are responsible for improving overall immunity especially passive immunity among infants and also help to demolish pathogens found in infants

• It is also associated with increasing the level of saliva IgA antibodies within body, which helps to improve the ability of infant for fighting against infection especially upper respiratory tract infection
• It contains cytokines that help to stimulate the maturation of T cells and B cells, which are coupled with producing antibodies in their body

Role on preventing infections

• Lactoferrin is an important iron binding protein found in colostrum exerts strong antimicrobial activities. It helps to inhibit microbial infestation within infant’s body and also associated with destroying microbes
• It contains lysozyme, which plays significant role in killing the bacterial cells by splitting peptidoglycan compound of bacterial cell wall
• It contains white blood cells, which are associated with synthesizing various antibodies that ultimately neutralizes microbes and reduces their harmful consequences

Role on preventing jaundice

• It has seen that infants generally born with elevated levels of RBC and eventually when these RBC break then it produce enough bilirubin. As infants are not physiologically matured hence their liver are not developed properly to process bilirubin as a result bilirubin get accumulated within their blood leading to jaundice
• As mentioned above colostrum has laxative properties hence its consumption is associated with flushing out bilirubin through stool and prevents the prevalence of infantile jaundice

Physiological advantages

• Breast feeding (feeding of colostrum and mature milk) is good for mother’s health as well
• It helps to reduce body weight, which has gained during gestational period by burning out extra calories rapidly
• It is associated with releasing oxytocin hormone, which is responsible for returning the uterus into its previous size
• It is also very helpful for reducing uterine bleeding after delivery
• Breast feeding significantly lowers the risk of developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer

Emotional advantages

• Breast feeding is related with stimulating the production of two important hormones prolactin and oxytocin in lactating mothers, which are well known for their soothing effects and help to reduce stress level among them
• It is also associated with providing calmness and positive feelings in lactating mother
• Breast feeding also helps to build up an intense relationship between mother and her baby
• It has seen that breast fed infants comparatively cry less and experience less incidence of illness

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