Do Hormones in Milk Affect the Function of the Neonatal Intestine?

The presence of a number of peptide hormones and other biologically active peptides (BAP) in the milk of various species, together with the low proteolytic activity in the gastrointestinal tract of newborns and “permeability” for macromolecules, suggests theirpotential significance for the neonate I review the presence of hormones and other biologically active peptides (BAP) in milks of various species. Furthermore, I summarize data demonstrating the effects of orogastrically administered BAP with special attention to epidermal growth factor.