breast milk
dr. dolittle | December 10, 2015Zinc deficiency is sometimes diagnosed in infants who are exclusively breast-fed. It can occur because of a dysfunctional zinc transporter in the mother, which prevents zinc from being secreted into the breast milk through a special zinc transporter in the epithelial cells of the mammary gland (Chowanadisai et al., 2006). It could also be inherited.
Zinc is important for the production of lactose (milk sugar). In addition, infants with zinc deficiency may develop dermatitis on their face (image below), diarrhea, as well as neurological changes which may alter their behavior (Medscape).
A new…
dr. dolittle | July 12, 2013 Image from www.KidsHealth.org
Babies born prematurely are predisposed to necrotizing enterocolitis, in which portions of the intestinal lining dies. Infant formulas are thought to contribute to the development of this disorder in premature babies. This is a serious condition that can lead to death in about 25% of premies.
Dr. Sangild (University of Copenhagen) and colleagues have discovered that premature piglets that were fed either human donor breast milk or bovine (cow) colostrum had better outcomes compared to those fed infant formula. Food passage time through the intestines was…