Colostrum: Baby’s first vaccine, immunisation

Mrs. Oluwaseun Lawal, a nurse and a first time mother, attended all her ante-natal programmes before delivery, yet her five-month-old baby did not have the privilege of having the indispensable colostrum that serves as an anti-body and first immunisation to the new born. She said she was aware of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, from […]

Mrs. Oluwaseun Lawal, a nurse and a first time mother, attended all her ante-natal programmes before delivery, yet her five-month-old baby did not have the privilege of having the indispensable colostrum that serves as an anti-body and first immunisation to the new born.

She said she was aware of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, from birth to six months, but she was not allowed to see her baby until after she was ‘cleansed from her delivery’ which entailed that she washed her breast and press out the dirty milk before breastfeeding the baby.

“When I started breastfeeding her, the milk was not coming out well. My breast milk started flowing after the third day. I did all I could not to give her baby formula even though there are lots of restriction from people around me but I maintained my focus.”

Mrs. Alatishe Oluwatosin on her part said she heard of exclusive breastfeeding during her ante-natal programme but she couldn’t start immediately because her delivery was through caesarian section. 

“Before I regained consciousness, the baby had been given baby formula. I was told the baby was hungry and needed to eat to stop him from crying since I was not strong enough to breastfeed,” she said.

The colostrum which is expected to be given to the baby in the first one hour of birth occurs during pregnancy and lasts for several days after the birth of the baby. It is the first milk produced by the breast during pregnancy. 

It is either yellowish or cream in colour and also much thicker than the milk that is produced later during breastfeeding. It is said to be high in protein, fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and immunoglobulin.

From time immemorial, many women, caregivers and health givers consider it as dirty milk, hence the need for a newly delivered mother to wash the breast and express out the milk before breastfeeding the new born.

But the colostrum is said to have important role to play in the baby’s gastrointestinal tract as it contains high concentrations of leukocytes, protective white cells which can destroy disease causing bacteria and viruses.

UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Mrs. Ada Ezeogu at a recent media dialogue on breastfeeding said, colostrum provides all the nutrients and fluid that the newborn needs in the early days, as well as many substances to protect the baby against infections. 

She said its colour and thickness are due to the fact that it is higher in these protective benefits, adding that though the colour and thickness may not look attractive compared with more mature human milk, colostrum is also higher in protein, slightly lower in sugar, and significantly lower in fat.

“What colostrum lacks in volume it makes up for in power. Colostrum is full of antibodies and high in protein but has less of carbohydrates and fats. It helps build your newborn’s immunity and has a laxative effect that helps him pass the  first stool called meconium,” she said.

She added that the newborn must be fed with the colostrum within the first one hour of birth so that the baby could be immunized with this first milk saying that nothing could be compared with this first vaccine.

For mothers that deliver through caesarian section, Mrs. Ezeogu said the mother could be helped by bringing the baby closer to her so that she could give her baby the first milk.

She explained that the present caesarian section is not the type that makes a woman sleep completely but partially.

While listing the benefits of colostrum she said, when you feed your baby it, it is as though you are giving the baby his or her first vaccination because it contains a lot of your antibodies.

Some benefits of colostrum:

-It is the perfect food for your baby’s very first feeds, as his stomach can easily digest it.

-It prepares your baby’s digestive system for the mature milk that he will receive in the next few days.

-It helps in expelling bilirubin from your baby’s body and reduces chances of him getting jaundice.

-It is high in cholesterol, which is essential for the growth of your baby’s nervous system at this stage.

-Sugars in colostrum provide the energy required by your baby’s growing body.

-Some studies suggest the protein content in colostrum provides a full feeling to your baby, enabling him to sleep longer.

UNICEF Field Officer, Tejinder Sadhu, while speaking on this year’s World Breastfeeding Week with the theme, ‘Sustaining Breastfeeding Together’ said, “It is a collective effort to protect, promote and support breastfeeding initiative across the country.”