Should You Feed Colostrum to Your Newborn Child?

What Is Colostrum And Why It Is Extremely Vital for A Newborn Baby?

Colostrum is a yellowish fluid that comes out of a woman’s breast after the delivery of her child. It is also famous as the first stage of breast milk. The production of colostrum begins during the pregnancy period. It can last for 6-7 days after the child’s birth.   

People have several misconceptions regarding colostrum. Some consider it filthy and harmful for the child. Many people discard it because of its yellowish color and thick texture. Should you do the same or feed it to your child? Continue reading to debunk some popular myths about colostrum.

Is Colostrum Good for Your Baby’s Health?

Some mothers find it quite weird that their breast discharging yellow and thick substance. It does not look like the milk they usually see. Therefore, they think it is harmful to the child. Some elders suggest discarding it until normal milk comes out.

Such kind of myths has deprived many newborn babies of essential colostrum. That yellow substance is an immunity booster. It is quite vital for the better health of the child. It provides vital antibodies to fight viral infections. Therefore, you should never waste it and feed it to the newborn child.

Why Does Colostrum Look Yellow?

It is the most nutrient-rich form of milk. Therefore, it gets that yellowish tone. It provides a rich supply of proteins and β-carotene, which make it thicker and yellower than breast milk. You should not listen to anyone who suggests you throw the colostrum. Feed it to your baby if you want to keep him healthier.  

Colostrum also provides a rich supply of chloride, potassium, fat-soluble vitamins, and minerals. It terminates and digests all the disease-causing germs to keep your child healthy. You should never deprive your baby of colostrum because it contains:

• Antibodies leukocytes, IgG, IgA, IgM in high concentration. These antibodies fight various diseases.

• Low amount of fat, which your newborn baby can easily digest.

• Protein to boost the child’s growth.

• Lactoferrin to fight infection and absorb iron.

Do not go on colostrum’s color or texture because it is more beneficial than regular breast milk.

Why Does Every Newborn Child Need Colostrum?

You may have never known it before, but colostrum is liquid gold for the child’s health. It is also used as a therapeutic drug in the USA. It is offered as an immunodeficiency liquid to people, who have a weak immune system. It boosts immunity and therefore babies need it to fight infectious diseases.

Every newborn child needs colostrum because it provides:

1. Nutrition

As explained earlier in this post, colostrum supplies a rich amount of nutrients. That’s how it gets yellowish color and it is thicker than regular milk. It is vital for your child’s growth and his better health. The newborn child does not find it tough to digest. Therefore, it is not as harmful as cow’s milk for the child.

2. Protection against jaundice

Your baby won’t suffer from jaundice at his early age if you feed him colostrum. It has a laxative effect that aids in discharging meconium out of the child’s body. That’s why newborn babies have a green stool for a couple of days. The risk of jaundice reduces as the meconium gets out of the child’s body.

3. Immunity boosters

Colostrum is much better in terms of boosting immunity than mature milk. It is rich in immunoglobulin A or IgA antibodies. The IgA antibodies protect your baby against infections, such as lung mucosa, throat mucosa, intestinal infection, etc.

Your child won’t fall sick due to infectious viruses. Colostrum intake ensures the child is well-prepared to fight viral infections. He will stay healthy and grow normally. Therefore, colostrum is quite vital for his better health and growth.

4. Protection against gastrointestinal issues

Hence babies are born with highly permeable intestines, they need colostrum to protect the gastrointestinal tract. This yellow substance plays a vital role in preventing the intrusion of harmful substances. The regular colostrum intake ensures the baby is protected against food allergies.  

There will be a long list of benefits if we count each perk offered by colostrum. Mothers should never listen to anyone who says colostrum is bad for the child. It is probably the healthiest form of milk you can feed to the newborn child.

What Are the Most Common Myths About Colostrum?

The most common myths regarding colostrum are as follows:

It only has IgGs

Colostrum provides a rich supply of IgGs to boost the child’s immunity. It is not the only nutrient your baby gets from this yellowish substance. It provides fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, amino acids, and vital minerals.

The newborn child gets everything he needs to stay fit and healthy. Colostrum plays a vital role in the early development of the child’s digestive system. Therefore, it must be the first food a newborn baby consumes.

Environmental bacteria cannot affect colostrum

Colostrum provides antibodies to fight bacteria, but it is not immune to environmental bacteria. The mother should carefully clean herself before feeding the child. Bacteria can get into the child’s body with colostrum. Those germs can affect your child before he gets protected against viral infection. So, be careful and feed properly.

The mother can produce colostrum for 1-2 months

A pregnant woman starts producing colostrum during the pregnancy period. Its production lasts only for the first few days of delivery. Colostrum’s production stops after 4-5 days of delivery. The mother then produces mature milk to feed the child.

A newborn child consumes milk quite often. He requires a very small supply of milk each time. He consumes thick colostrum most of the time to get healthier. It also speeds up the mother’s recovery process. Thus, breastfeeding benefits both the mother and the child.

Newborn babies have dark poop due to consuming colostrum

Babies do not discharge dark poop because of digesting colostrum. It only works as a laxative substance to push meconium out of the child’s body. Every newborn child discharges dark green poop. It is meconium that babies consume in the mother’s womb. It gets out of the child’s body after a few days of birth.

Babies cannot digest colostrum because it is too thick

Health experts prohibit parents from feeding external milk because it is thick and babies can’t digest it. Colostrum is not like other thicker types of milk. It is thicker due to its high nutrient count. The baby can easily digest it and absorb all the nutrients from it.

Colostrum won’t attack your child’s digestive system. It will actually protect his liver, intestines, and other organs that play a vital role in digesting food. Therefore, the child must consume colostrum.

What Is the Difference Between Colostrum, Traditional Milk, and Mature Milk?

Milk produced for the first 4-5 days is called colostrum. It is thick, yellowish, and filled with a variety of nutrients. A new mother starts producing traditional milk 4-5 days after delivery. It is much creamier than regular milk.

Traditional milk contains high levels of fat and lactose. The baby needs these fats and lactose to boost his energy levels. Traditional milk also plays a crucial role in the early growth of the child. It replaces colostrum when the child’s digestive system is ready to digest breast milk.

A new mother usually produces traditional milk for 2 weeks. The mature milk is produced after 15-20 days of delivery. It is much thinner than traditional milk. It looks bluish for the first few days and feels creamier like traditional milk. The volume of milk increases as the baby’s food demands increase. It gets thinner and easier to digest.

Breasts first produce colostrum, then traditional milk, and then mature milk. The mature milk meets the child’s food demands for 9-12 months. The weaning period begins after 12 months milk supply reduces because complimentary meals replace breastfeeding.

Is Colostrum Better Than Formula Milk?

Formula milk can never be as nutritious as colostrum. Health experts call colostrum liquid gold because of its nutritional values and health benefits. Formula milk may have an excessive or deficient amount of nutrients a newborn child needs. Colostrum provides a well-balanced supply of nutrients.

Formula milk may contain too much vitamin D that can be toxic for a newborn child in high quantities. Breastfeeding ensures the child gets the required supply of colostrum. Formula milk or other types of milk can never replace colostrum. Therefore, doctors ask new mothers to feed the child as soon as possible.

Can A Newborn Child Survive Without Colostrum?

Colostrum is vital for the better health and growth of the child. However, a baby can easily survive without colostrum. He won’t get that protective shield against infection and other diseases. The doctor will keep the child in intensive care to avoid germ attack. The child will get nutrient-rich formula milk to develop faster and get healthier.

Conclusion

Now, you should not doubt that colostrum is quite vital for a newborn baby. Feed it to your baby, even if your elders don’t find it a healthy choice. You have learnt about colostrum’s health benefits and its role in digestive system development. So, feed it as soon as possible after the child’s birth.  

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