Why breast milk matters

Abstract

Midwives understand the benefits of breastfeeding, both for the infant and mother. However, the biochemical and physiological reasons for the superiority of breast milk are less widely known. This is, in part, because of the extraordinary complexity of breast milk's composition. Its key components include nucleotides, which benefit gut and immune development, human milk oligosaccharides, which promote an optimal gut biome, lipids in the milk fat globule membrane, which promote gut health and brain development, immunoglobulins, which modulate the infant's immune system, and an optimum protein content, which is high in the first 2 weeks after birth but decreases thereafter. A greater awareness and understanding of the mechanisms behind the benefits of breastfeeding could help midwives to have informed discussions with parents and potentially contribute to improving the UK's breastfeeding rates. Growing understanding of breast milk's unique composition may also help infant formula manufacturers drive innovation and improve the formulation of their products.