The First Kilogram: 2. The Protein Content of Breast Milk of Mothers of Babies of Low Birth Weight

Analyses of consecutive complete 24-hour expressions of breast milk from mothers of babies of low birth weight and of varying gestational age, both immature and dysmature, showed compositional changes in protein content that closely resembled the pattern of compositional changes found in milk secreted by mothers of normal full-term babies. During the first four weeks after lactation is established, the milk contains sufficient protein to permit optimum nutrition even for the baby of low birth weight who does not reach a weight of 1,500 gm until the end of that time. After the first month, this food is as adequate as any reconstituted milk for the nutrition of infants, provided that they weigh more than 1,500 gm.