Comparison between mother's milk and cow's milk
One of the animal milks that comes closest to the human one is cow's milk. The comparison between the two types of milk is shown in the table:
COMPONENTS | HUMAN MILK (100 g) | VACCINE MILK (100 g) |
| Proteins in grams (g) | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 0.72 0.35 0 0.10-0.15 0.10-0.15 0.48 | 0.6 0.15 to 0.18 0.37 0.02-0.05 0.05 2.9 |
| Sugars in grams | 7 | 4 |
| 6 1 | 4 traces |
| Lipids in grams | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 45% 55% | 75% 25% |
CALORIES | 65 Kcal / 100 g | 67-68 Kcal / 100g |
The unparalleled properties of breast milk
The caloric share is practically equal between the two, as well as the lipid one. What distinguishes the two types of milk is the type of fatty acid it contains: while in the milk of women there is a prevalence of unsaturated fatty acids (55%), in the vaccine that proportion is only 25%. The most striking difference is however that of the protein content: 1.2 g of human milk versus 3.3 g of cow's milk. It is practically a 3 to 1 ratio. Therefore, having to use cow's milk to feed a newborn, it must be absolutely diluted, because the proteins are too high in cow's milk, and fall to the stomach in large flakes (massive flocculation), creating a species of nodular mass that will be regurgitated by the newborn. The protein component most involved in this phenomenon is casein, which is present in cow's milk at a rate of 2.9 g, against 0.48 g of human milk. However, by diluting the cow's milk to reduce the protein content, the lipid content is also reduced; consequently, the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids reaches an insignificant level from a nutritional point of view. Here then the cow's milk will be added with this nutrient.
The proportion of glucides in cow's milk is lower; to bring it to a value similar to that of human milk, just add sugars, such as sucrose. Although it is not the same sugar that characterizes that of human milk, or lactose, it still allows the carbohydrate and caloric portion to be re-established.
A woman's milk is a complete and optimal food for the infant and does not require any integration. There is an exception the administration of vitamin D, since it appears unlikely that in the first months of life the requirement (notoriously not covered by the vitamin D contained in the milk) can be compensated by the exposure of the infant to the sun (sun exposure stimulates production of this vitamin in humans). The recommended dose is 400 IU per day throughout the first year, starting in the first month.
Changes in cow's milk are valid if done at industrial level: in this case, the protein content is separated, lactose, vegetable unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fat are added. With all these modifications we obtain the so-called formulated milk or milk for infants or, more commonly, artificial milk .
Although the artificial product has the great merit of overcoming the nutritional demands of the newborn, it certainly creates a metabolic effort: therefore, any condition of precarious balance of the child, such as a disease for example, can trigger infectious phenomena (enteritis) even if, fortunately, these are much rarer than in the past.
Another difference between breast milk and artificial milk concerns the b-lactoglobulin which, in the context of proteins, is the most allergenic: it follows a remarkable incidence of milk allergies which, instead, rarely appear in breast-fed infants. If these should occur in breast-fed children, even if in extremely rare cases, it is not a question of allergies to breast milk, but of allergies to proteins carried by the breast milk itself. For example, if the woman consumes cow's milk, some of the vaccine proteins that are still practically intact can be found in her milk; this is the explanation of how there are cases in which cow's milk intolerance is manifested even in a breast-fed child. The therapy consists of changing the woman's diet; having done this, the child can resume breastfeeding without any problem.
