Effect
of maternal nutritional status on immunological substances in human
colostrum and milk
R Miranda, NG
Saravia, R Ackerman, N Murphy, S Berman and DN McMurray
Substances in colostrum and breast milk confer significant disease
resistance to the breast-fed infant. The influence of maternal nutritional
status on both immunological and nonimmunological milk factors was
studied in a group of 23 Colombian women during the first 2 months
of lactation.
Maternal malnutrition
was characterized by significantly lower weight/height ratio, creatinine/height
index, total serum proteins, serum albumin, and serum IgG and IgA.
The colostrum
of malnourished mothers contained only one-third the normal concentration
of immunoglobulin G and less than half the normal level of albumin.
Significant reductions in colostrum levels of IgA and the fourth component
of complement (C4) were also observed in the malnourished group. No
differences were observed in colostral concentrations of lysozyme,
C3 complement, or IgM. Titers of antibody in milk directed against
respiratory syncytial virus were not influenced by maternal nutritional
status.
The differences
noted above tended to disappear in mature milk, concomitant with improvement
in the nutritional status of malnourished mothers during the first
several weeks postpartum.
We conclude that
the protective qualities of colostrum and milk may be significantly
influenced by maternal nutritional status.
Articles
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