Colostrum Ingested during the First Day of Life by Exclusively Breastfed Healthy Newborn Infants
Received 6 January 2009; received in revised form 8 June 2009; accepted 2 July 2009. published online 27 September 2009.
Objective
To determine the mass of colostrum ingested by exclusively breastfed newborn infants during the first 24 hours of extrauterine life.
Study design
Milk ingested during the first 24 hours of life by 90 healthy newborn infants was evaluated by use of a scale with high sensitivity. The masses were measured during 8-hour periods. Associations of the mass measured with prenatal and postnatal variables were tested.
Results
The mass of colostrum ingested was evaluated in 307 feedings, with 3.4±1 feedings recorded per 8-hour period of observation. Mean gain per feeding was 1.5±1.1 g. The daily mass of milk ingested by newborn infants was estimated at 15±11 g. This volume did not show a tendency to increase during the first 24 postnatal hours, nor was it related to perinatal or postnatal factors or to breastfeeding time.
Conclusions
During the first 24 hours of life newborns ingested 15±11 g of milk.
aHospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
bDepartment of Pediatrics, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
Reprint requests: Francisco Eulógio Martinez, Department of Pediatrics, University of São Paulo, Av dos Bandeirantes 3900, 14090-900 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
This study received funding from CNPq (Brazilian National Research Council). The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
ABSTRACT