Mother\'s milk

This article describes the Lait Maternel .

Composition

The major components of the mother's milk are: the Water (87,5% approx.), the glucids (7% approx.), the lipids (4% approx.), the protids (1% approx.), micronutriments (0,5% approx.). This composition evolves of the colostrum of the first days to mature milk but also varies in the course of Allaitement in same tétée, over 12 midnight and according to the needs and the age for the baby.

Part of the elements of milk comes from selective filtration from blood (water, salts, albumin, globulines), the other of a synthesis (lactose casein, fat contents, acid citric) by the cells of the acinus of elements specific to milk.

The composition of the mother's milk is relatively stable all over the world and varies only in one small proportion according to the lifestyle and of the food of the mother. From specificity of its composition, and contrary with the cow's milk, human milk is preserved relatively well.

Water

Water being the principal one constituting mother's milk (87,5%), this one is particularly refreshing. It is thus not necessary to add feeding-bottles of water between tétées with the request.

Glucids

Human milk contains 60 g/l lactose, which accounts for 85% of its content glucids. The Lactose is a disaccharide, made up of glucose and galactose. The Glucose is intended for the cells cerebral, muscular, lubricating and intestinal. The Galactose plays a crucial role in the construction of the brain, the maintenance of a stable glycemia and the purification of the bilirubine.

The human Colostrum contains a significant proportion (12 g/l) of rare sugars, the oligosaccharides. One counted some more than 130 different species. They are the prébiotiques ones, compounds which exert a stimulation on the micro-organisms of the Côlon and play a part in the growth of the protective flora ( Bifidus ) of the intestinal mucous membrane, preventing the adherence of the microbes to the walls. Such are the oligosaccharides. These very particular sugars exist in very few kinds of milks of mammals.

Lipids

The average content of Lipide S of the mother's milk is of approximately 40 grams per liter. This content can undergo important variations (from 3 to 180 grams per liter) according to the hour of the day, the age of the child, the volume of tétée, the constitution of the mother and her type of food. The synthesis of the lipids is complex and long, this is why the lipids concentrate in human milk only in end of tétée of each center. This moment should not be removed by tétées the too short ones.

The lipids of human milk are made up to 98% by triglycerides, of polyinsaturées greases which play a part in the myelinisation of the nervous system, the acuity of the vision and the synthesis of hormones. Human milk also contains phospholipides, (good) cholesterol, beneficial at the cardiovascular and cerebral level. The essential fatty-acids (linoleic, linoleic) must be brought to the mother by her food.

Protids

Human milk contains 9 to 12 grams per liter of amino-acids divided into three classes: free proteins, enzymes and amino-acids.

Proteins

The Lactosérum constitutes half of the Protéine S of the mother's milk (6 g/l). It includes/understands:

the Alpha lactalbumine (3,5 g/l), producing of lactose necessary to the construction of the human brain
the Lactotransferrine or Lactoferrine (1,5 g/l), necessary for the intestinal absorption of iron and powerful anti-infectious agent by its capacity to adapt iron necessary to the development of certain bacteria.

The mother's milk is free from beta Lactoglobuline, a protein of the cow's milk extremely allergisante for the human being. It takes 100 days (3 months and half) so that the intestine of the baby installs an effective anti-allergic barrier against nonhuman proteins. Before this moment, any food supply different from the milk of mother is recognized like foreigner by the organization and creates a risk of intolerance.

In the mother's milk, the Caséine (4 g/l) is particularly digeste. Among the three types alpha, beta and K, casein beta has a particular profile for each woman, probably determined by her genetic code. Its degradation releases from the Peptide S with anti-infectious activity. Casein K (factor Bifidus ) is a Glycoprotéine which stimulates the growth of the Bifidobacterium .

The Immunoglobulines (1-2 g/l) are proteins which provide immunizing defenses, antibodies. The mother's milk contains mainly Immunoglobulines has secretary, IgA, and, in less important proportions, of IgG and IgM.

The digestive mucous membrane of the baby is immature with the birth and spends at least 4 months to be built. It is protected from the microbial aggressions by proteins of defense of the mother's milk.

In the colostrum, IgA, are present in a massive way (nearly 90 g/l). They paper the digestive mucous membrane, preventing the pathogenic bacteria from fixing itself on the wall. The microbes are bound by IgA, their toxins and their enzymes are neutralized and the local proliferation of the viruses is prevented.

Enzymes

Among the Enzyme S one can quote the lysozyme, a bactericide specific to human milk, lipase for the absorption of greases by the baby, lactase, dividing the lactose molecules into glucose and galactose.

Amino-acid

In human milk, the free Amino-acid (2 g/l) are present in a proportion 3 to 4 times more important than in the cow's milk. They allow the assimilation of the lipids and take part in the construction of the brain. Essential free amino-acids of the mother's milk: Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysin, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Taurine, Thréonine, Tryptophan, Valin. Free amino-acids nonessential of the mother's milk: Arginine, Alanine, Aspartic acid, Cystein, Glutamic acid, Glycocolle, Proline, Serine, Tyrosin. Among the amino-acids of human milk, the Taurine (10 times more than in the cow's milk) plays a big role in the construction of the brain and the operation of the cerebral cells, intervenes in the cardiac and muscular functions and the assimilation of the lipids.

Hormones

In the protids, one classifies the Hormone S of the milk of which some support the growth and the development of the sexual organs specific to the species. Some hormones of the mother's milk: Insulin, épidermique Growth factor, Prostaglandins, thyroid Hormones, Prolactin, Steroids ovariens and surrénaliens, Calcitonine, érythropoïétine, Neurotensine, Somatostatine, Bombésine.

Rock salt, trace elements, micronutriments

The quantity of Rock salt and Oligo-élément S (2 g/l) of the mother's milk is adapted to the possibilities of renal elimination of the baby whose bodies are not yet mature. The concentration of trace elements is high in the colostrum. They play a crucial role in the constitution of the skeleton.

Rock salt and trace elements of the mother's milk: calcium, chlorine, copper, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulfur, zinc.

Vitamin S liposoluble and water-soluble of the mother's milk: WITH, B₁, B₂, PP, B₅, B₆, B₈, B₉, B₁₂, C, D, E, K.

Many Leucocyte S contain, or alive cells (90% Macrophage S, 10% Lymphocyte S) are numerous in the colostrum (1 million per millilitre) and the mother's milk.

Human milk contains many factors of immunizing defense antibactériens (Diphtérie, Tétanos, Streptocoque S, Coqueluche, Dysenterie, Colibacille S, Typhus, etc), antiviral (Grippe, Poliomyélite, etc). and pesticides. It also contains agents of protection against the ulcéro-necrosing entérocolite, the Interféron and the system additional (20 proteins of defense against the disease-causing agents which penetrate in the organization).

The Nucléotide S have an immunological effect. Are present in the mother's milk: Cytidine, Uridine, Adenosine, Guanosine, Inosine.

Many elements of human milk were not identified yet and their function remains to be discovered.

Variations of the composition of the mother's milk

The composition of the mother's milk varies according to the unfolding of tétée, during the circadian rate/rhythm and over the period of breast feeding.

in the course of tétée

At the beginning of tétée, the mother's milk is composed of many water and rock salt to refresh. Then the proportion of directly assimilable glucids by the organization increases, initially the oligosaccharides then the lactose. In medium of tétée, the proteins and lipids increase in quantity. At the end of each tétée, the lipids concentrate more and more in milk and give to the baby a feeling satiety. It is the signal of end of tétée for the baby. This is why it is necessary to make to téter the baby sufficiently a long time with each center.

during the 24 hours

About midday, milk contains more lipids. At midday and the evening, it contains more proteins. The proportion enter the oligosaccharides and the lactose varies. There are more lactose the morning, and more oligosaccharides the afternoon. A baby nourished with the request can thus adapt itself tétées according to his needs. For example by drinking only the milk of beginning of tétée, rich in water and sugar if it is only thirsty, or while tétant longer to have the nutritive proteins and lipids if it is hungry.

over the period of Breast feeding

The composition of the mother's milk varies during the total period of breast feeding. In the first week, colostrum with mature milk, the content lactose increases and that in oligosaccharides decreases. The double proportion of the lipids. Rock salt decrease by half. The proportion of proteins is divided by ten. The acid content amino free drops to go up then slightly. In parallel, the volume of produced milk increases with the wire of the weeks. The requests for increases in the baby are often abrupt and volume increases by stages.

The Allaitement is an interactive process where the behavior of the child can determine to a certain extent the composition of its food.

In period of weaning, for example, the quantity of sodium and proteins increase in the mother's milk. On the other hand, potassium concentration, and lactose decrease gradually.

Conservation of the mother's milk

At room temperature (20 °C), the Colostrum is preserved approximately 12 hours, mature milk between 4 and 24 hours according to the temperature. Inside a refrigerator (0 to 4 °C), human milk is preserved up to 8 days. With the freezer (- 15 °C), the mother's milk can be preserved several months (from 3 to 6 months according to the type of freezer). Milk evolving/moving with the age of the baby, it is advised not to exceed the 3 weeks of conservation.

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