In the later months of breastfeeding, the fat content decreases. The mother passes many antibodies to her fetus via the placenta and to her newborn baby via colostrum and breast milk. Fat is the main source of calories, fat-soluble vitamins, and essential fatty acids needed for growth and development of the infant's central nervous system. The amount of fat that a breast fed baby receives will depend on the duration of suckling at the breast. Fat content also varies with the time of day, rising from early morning to a plateau around midday.
Fat content decreases after six months, as infants receive necessary fat from food sources.
Lactose is slowly digested, so there is a steady release of glucose in the infant's bloodstream. All animals have growth rates, which appear to be related to the composition of their mothers' milk. The distribution of human milk protein is ideally suited to the growth of the human infant, enabling him to utilize the proteins with extremely high efficiency. Colostrum contains three times more protein than breast milk, and the protein content of breast milk seems relatively constant regardless of the mother's nutritional status. The content on these pages is provided as general information only and should not be substituted for the advice of your physician.