Human breast milk is complex than that of others

WASHINGTON DC: A study says that milk from a human mother contains more than 200 different sugar molecules, way above the average 30-50 found in any other mammals, says ANI. It is still a scientific puzzle that the role of each of these sugar molecules and their composition changes during breast feeding. Breast milk is often an infant’s first meal, but many of the sugar molecules in the milk are not meant to feed the baby. Infants are born sterile of any bacteria in their guts, but within a few days they have millions, and after a week there are billions. The sugars that come from mother’s milk are usually the first compounds that these bacteria have to chew on, a free lunch that is intended to culture specific bacterial species. Human breast milk also helps lay the foundation for the new baby’s immune system. After birth, milk is rich in antibodies and molecules that slow the growth of harmful bacteria and coordinate white blood cell activity. After one month, when the infant begins developing an adaptive immune system of his or her own, the composition of breast milk transitions so that levels of maternal antibodies drop by more than 90 percent. There is also a sharp decrease in the diversity of breast milk sugars, indicating less selection for bacterial species. Instead, mature human breast milk has an increased number of fat and other nutrients that support infant growth.