Many parents are too troublesome to buy colostrum for surrogate mothers, and think that frozen breast milk is not nutritious. Let’s take a look today.
About colostrum, I often hear this statement:
Colostrum looks like gold? !
Colostrum is more nutritious than human colostrum? !
Can babies eat bovine colostrum? !
……
What is colostrum? Is it really that magical? Can babies eat bovine colostrum?If you are confused about colostrum, why don’t you come to know it~
XNUMX. What is colostrum? Why is colostrum like gold?
Breast milk changes in stages throughout the feeding period, from colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk to late milk. Colostrum is the first milk secreted by the breast, specifically the milk secreted within 2-5 days after childbirth, showing a yellowish or golden yellow color and a relatively thick texture.
With the increase of milk, colostrum and milk are mixed together. It is transitional milk within 6-10 days after delivery, and the color of the milk becomes lighter and the texture becomes thinner. After two weeks of production, the breast milk is mature milk, and there is basically no colostrum in the milk.
Many mothers may waste the colostrum, squeezing out the colostrum and throwing it away is actually very wasteful. "Colostrum looks like gold", colostrum is actually very suitable for newborn babies.
Compared with ordinary milk, it has great advantages. It contains essential proteins, vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids for baby's growth and development. It also contains rich antibodies, which can naturally enhance baby's immunity. Specifically, its role has the following points.
1. Easy to absorb:Compared with mature milk, colostrum has a better nutrition ratio, high protein content, more than twice that of mature milk, and lower fat and sugar content, which is easier to be digested and absorbed by the baby.
2. Rich immune proteins and growth factors:The newborn's own immune system is immature. Colostrum is rich in immune proteins and growth factors, more than 13 growth factors, 68 cytokines, and 415 proteins, such as whey protein, lactoferrin, and immunoglobulin A ( IgA), growth hormone (GH), insulin-type growth factor (IGF-1), etc.
These nutrients are very helpful to help your baby resist bacterial viruses, reduce intestinal E. coli infection, promote the baby's normal intestinal colony growth, and enhance the baby's body immunity.
For example, lactoferrin can prevent neonatal anemia, and immunoglobulin A can protect the baby's gastrointestinal tract, help kill viruses and bacteria, prevent the baby from being allergic to certain foods in breast milk, and prevent baby's milk intolerance.
3. Rich vitamins and minerals:Colostrum is rich in vitamins, among which vitamin B is about 4 times that of mature milk, and vitamins A, C, and taurine are 10 times that of mature milk. These vitamins help reduce bacterial virus infections and promote visual development. There are also abundant minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.
4. A small amount of laxative contained in colostrum has a laxative effect and can help the baby expel meconium quickly. The fetus contains bilirubin, and rapid discharge also helps prevent neonatal jaundice.
XNUMX. Other questions and answers about colostrum
1. Why is colostrum yellow and thick?
The content of β-carotene and protein in colostrum is very high, β-carotene makes colostrum look yellow, and the high content of protein makes the texture of colostrum sticky.
2. When did colostrum occur?
Parents think that colostrum is only available after the baby is born, but in fact, the time for the mothers to start making breast milk is earlier than we thought, usually starting at 2 or 3 months of pregnancy.
Therefore, some mothers begin to secrete colostrum during pregnancy. Occasionally, transparent or yellow liquid is found on the bra. This is colostrum. It's just that the mother's hormone levels change after the baby is born, and the breasts continue to produce milk.
3. How much is colostrum? Would you like to supplement your baby with formula?
The amount of colostrum is small, and there are relatively large individual differences. Some mothers may have more, and about 30ml can be squeezed out on the first day after delivery, but some mothers have less colostrum and only a few drops are possible.
The baby's stomach capacity is only about 7ml on the first day and only about 27ml on the third day. Colostrum can basically meet the baby's needs. Therefore, parents do not have to worry too much about their babies getting full.
The baby will instinctively look for the mother's breasts for food about 10 minutes after birth, so it is recommended that the mother breastfeed in time after delivery. And it is best to feed 8-12 times a day, one is to let the baby suck and stimulate the breast to produce milk, and the other is to let the baby practice the nipple and adopt the correct feeding position.
4. Can babies without breastfeeding eat colostrum?
Yes. Colostrum is rich in nutrients. Even if mothers do not plan to breastfeed, they can feed colostrum to the baby, squeeze the colostrum into a small spoon, and then feed the baby.
5. Can I give baby colostrum?
No. As early as 2012, the Ministry of Health made it clear that no colostrum and dairy products made from colostrum should be added to infant formulas. Although studies have shown that the components of immune proteins and growth factors in bovine colostrum are more abundant than those in human colostrum. But colostrum is unnecessary and unsafe for the baby.
First of all, the structure of bovine colostrum and human colostrum are different. What enhances the baby's immunity is the immunoglobulin IgA, while the bovine colostrum is immune to protein IgG and is not suitable for babies. Furthermore, bovine colostrum itself is not safe for babies. Bovine colostrum may cause a risk of kidney burden and milk allergy to the baby.
How to save and feed the baby's frozen breast milk?
First of all, we must know that frozen breast milk and fresh breast milk are not very different in nutrition. If the preservation method is appropriate, frozen breast milk can be stored for 3-6 months.
How to store breast milk?
When storing breast milk, master some tips to make breast milk fresher and easier to feed your baby.
1. Don't pretend to be too full: Do not pack too much or cover too tightly, leaving some space to prevent the container from freezing and freezing and bursting. Specifically, the amount of breast milk in the milk storage bottle or milk storage bag should not exceed 3/4 of the volume of the container, and when the milk storage bag is sealed, the air inside should be squeezed out.
2. Write down the time: Paste the milking time and storage time on the outside of the container, so that you can clearly know the storage period of breast milk, so as not to cause bacteria to breed for too long
3. Keep in the right place for refrigeration: Refrigerated breast milk should be placed in the refrigerator close to the inner wall, not on the storage compartment inside the refrigerator compartment door.
4. Pack into small portions: In order to facilitate the family or caregiver to feed according to the baby's food and avoid waste, you can divide the breast milk into small portions (60-120 ml) to freeze or refrigerate.
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