Colostrum is the first form of milk produced by the mammary glands immediately after birth. It is rich in nutrients, antibodies, and antioxidants, which may be essential for healthy immune development. It turns into breast milk within two to four days after a newborn is born.
Globally, more than a third of newborns are fed formulas and do not receive full colostrum intake within the first three days of life. Researchers found that not eating enough colostrum increased the risk of peanut allergy and multiple food allergies.
The study included 666 mother-infant dyads. Newborns were classified as exclusively or non-exclusively colostrum-fed. Food allergy at 1 year of age was defined by a positive skin prick test and the infant’s immediate reaction to the food reported by the mother.
The study results were as follows:
- 46% of the infants were not exclusively colostrum-fed through age 3 days.
- By 12–18 months of age, infants who were not exclusively colostrum-fed were 3.41 times more likely to have egg allergy and 5.66 times more likely to have peanut allergy than infants who were exclusively colostrum-fed.
- Infants who were not exclusively colostrum-fed and were not introduced to allergens until after age 7 months had higher odds of egg or peanut allergy than infants who were exclusively colostrum-fed and were introduced to allergens before age 7 months.
- Infants who received nine or more colostrum feeds within the first 24 hours do not develop peanut allergy, even if they also received formula during the first 24 hours.
Based on these results, the researchers concluded that the risk of food allergy was increased among infants who were not exclusively colostrum-fed, and that delaying the introduction of allergens into their diets increased this risk, suggesting that colostrum feeding may prevent food allergies.
