Nutrition and Lactation

Lactation is a continuation of intrauterine gestation. In both processes, maternal diet plays an active role in the provision of nutrients, maternal nutritional stores and endocrine adaptations serve to buffer the short-term variations in maternal flutritional intake, blood flow plays an overriding role in nutrient transfer to the fetus and newborn infant, and the nutrient demands of the recipient are the highest of any stage in human development. Human milk is remarkable in its variability. Recent data suggest that the variability often improves the nutrient composition as part of a complex adaptation to the infant’s specific needs. A comprehensive survey of the literature on lactation and human milk is provided in two review articles.” 2