Why is breast milk so valuable?
It contains all the essential nutrients a baby requires, including vitamins, minerals, lactose, fats, protein..etc. In particular, the nutrient-rich sticky yellow breast milk produced towards the end of pregnancy and first few days after delivery is called colostrum. It contains a rich source of nutrients, growth and immune factors essential for those early years of development. Breast milk also contains omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. It has been recommended that women seek DHA (at least 200mg per day) and EPA during pregnancy and lactation because DHA and EPA are critical in the infant for cognitive, visual and motor development [1], and the levels of DHA and EPA in mother’s milk are dependant upon mother’s intake of DHA and EPA. Take DHA for eg, brain accumulation of DHA starts in utero (during pregnancy), with the majority in the second half of gestation. DHA accumulation in brain continues after birth, reaching a total brain DHA deposition of about 4g between two and four yea
