Abstract
The fetal small intestine grows dramatically fast during the second and third trimester of human pregnancy. Many intestinal functions are therefore affected by preterm birth, including gastrointestinal motility, digestive and absorptive function, mucosal barrier function, and the intestinal inflammatory response.
This immaturity predisposes preterm infants to various nutritional challenges and clinical conditions, including feeding intolerance, growth restriction, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis and long-term consequences. The quality of milk fed to preterm infants during the first postnatal days, is crucial for intestinal maturation and protection against NEC. Among other factors, milk quality is determined by the stage of lactation and also by milk processing. Milk formula feeding is associated with greater risk than feeding with fresh colostrum or milk, probably due to a gradual reduction or a loss in the levels/activities of various bioactive proteins (e.g. Igs, lactoferrin, IGF, TGF-β) throughout the lactation or during milk processing (e.g. homogenization, pasteurization, fractionation, spray-drying).
We therefore made our effects in the PhD project to investigate the influences of stage of lactation (e.g. colostrum versus mature milk), milk processing (e.g. homogenization, pasteurization, fractionation, spray-drying), and supplementation of a bioactive protein in intestinal maturation using preterm pigs as the model for preterm infants. We hope the results are able to contribute to the improvement of infant formula industry and clinical practices of feeding preterm infants.
This immaturity predisposes preterm infants to various nutritional challenges and clinical conditions, including feeding intolerance, growth restriction, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis and long-term consequences. The quality of milk fed to preterm infants during the first postnatal days, is crucial for intestinal maturation and protection against NEC. Among other factors, milk quality is determined by the stage of lactation and also by milk processing. Milk formula feeding is associated with greater risk than feeding with fresh colostrum or milk, probably due to a gradual reduction or a loss in the levels/activities of various bioactive proteins (e.g. Igs, lactoferrin, IGF, TGF-β) throughout the lactation or during milk processing (e.g. homogenization, pasteurization, fractionation, spray-drying).
We therefore made our effects in the PhD project to investigate the influences of stage of lactation (e.g. colostrum versus mature milk), milk processing (e.g. homogenization, pasteurization, fractionation, spray-drying), and supplementation of a bioactive protein in intestinal maturation using preterm pigs as the model for preterm infants. We hope the results are able to contribute to the improvement of infant formula industry and clinical practices of feeding preterm infants.
| Original language | English |
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| Place of Publication | Copenhagen |
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| Publisher | Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen |
| Number of pages | 167 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978 87 7611 691 0 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |