Breast Feeding: a Foundation of Preventive Medicine
1983
Whittlestone, W. G.
Breast milk, like the milk of all mammals, is matched to the requirements of the growing young. The fat content is lower than that of cow's milk and varies greatly throughout suckling, providing from 30 to 55% of the baby's energy requirements. The unsaturated fatty acid percentage is twice that of cow's milk, while the lipase level of the milk provides for the digestion of the fat before the infant gut lipase develops. The lactose level is much higher than in cow's milk, meeting the human need for more galactose. The protein structure is matched to the digestive requirements of the human infant gut particularly in the way curd formation takes place. Lactoferrin and lysozyme in the protein fraction control gut flora development, suppressing pathogens, being assisted by the immunoglobulins which provide anti-infective action until the infant immune system develops. Thus breast feeding provides protection against infection and a fully balanced diet.
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