Preterm human milk: associations between perinatal factors and hormone concentrations throughout lactation

Abstract

Human milk is the best nutrition for the infant. However, its composition may be susceptible to alterations determined by pathological conditions mother and infant may face throughout pregnancy and in the perinatal period. This study found that perinatal factors are associated with human milk composition from early to late lactation. If human milk composition throughout lactation is "programmed" during pregnancy or early lactation, infants who were exposed in utero to environmental insults may still be exposed to them during lactation. The impact of human milk compositional alteration on infant growth following perinatal pathological events requires further investigation.