Breastmilk Composition
This is pretty much a list of links right now. I always have to search a bit when someone asks a question on this subject, so I'm putting everything in one place to make it easier to find. If I get some time, I hope to compile a lot of this info into one document.
Note: Some of these links are from Medscape.com, which requires a free registration to access articles.
- Nutrients
- Immune Factors
- Hormones, Enzymes, etc.
- General info and comparisons
- References and further reading
| Nutrients |
Appendix
G: The Composition of Human Milk includes numbers for early
milk and mature milk from the Australian National Health and Medical
Research Council's (NHMRC) Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health
Workers (note: this is a large PDF file)
Human Milk and Lactation: Macronutrient Composition of Human Milk
Concentrations of Nutrients in Mature Human Milk (see also this table from the article)
| Breastmilk |
whole
cow's milk |
2%
cow's milk |
|
| cholesterol | 43 mg/cup |
33 mg/cup |
18 mg/cup |
| fat | 11.2 g/cup |
8 g/cup |
5 g/cup |
Protein
According to "Breastfeeding and Human Lactation" (Riordan and Auerbach,
1999), the protein content of mature human milk from well-nourished
mothers is about 0.8-0.9 grams of protein per deciliter. Another
source says that in the second year of life, 500 ml of breastmilk
provides 38% of baby's protein requirements (UNICEF/Wellstart: Promoting
Breastfeeding in Health Facilities: A short course for Administrators
and Policy Makers; WHO/CDR 93.4).
| Immune Factors |
see Immune factors in human milk
| Hormones, Enzymes, etc. |
Growth Factors in Human Colostrum and Milk
Function of Milk-Growth Factors and Hormones in the Mammary Gland and Newborn
Functions of Enzymes in Human Milk
Characteristics of Milk Enzymes Active in Infant Digestion Enzyme
| General info and comparisons |
Constituents of human milk by Ann Prentice, from Food and Nutrition Bulletin (The United Nations University Press) 1996 December; 17(4)
Human Milk and Lactation by Carol L Wagner, MD
Comparison of Human Milk to Artificial Baby Milk (formula)
Comparison of breastmilk & formula from askdrsears.com
Comparing Milk: Human, Cow, Goat & Commercial Infant Formula compiled and referenced by Stephanie Clark, Ph.D.
Goat - Cow - Human Milk Comparison from the American Dairy Goat Association
The Composition of Goat Milk as compared with those of Cow & Human milk (scroll down to Table 1)
| References and further reading |
Hamosh M. Breastfeeding: Unraveling the Mysteries of Mother's Milk. Medscape Women's Health eJournal 1996;1(5).
The United Nations University Press Food and Nutrition Bulletin Volume 17, Number 4, December 1996.
Controlling your cholesterol from askdrsears.com
Reference list from my Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet
Hamosh M, Dewey, Garza C, et al: Nutrition During Lactation. Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1991, pp. 133-140. This book is available free from the HRSA Information Center (look under Nutrition publications).
Riordan, J. and Auerbach, K. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, 2nd ed. Boston and London: Jones and Bartlett, 1999.
Lawrence, R. Breastfeeding : A Guide for the Medical Profession, 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby, 1994.
Page last modified:
03/03/2005
Written: 06/01/2001