Mothers try to give every precious drop of their colostrum, often referred to as “liquid gold,” to their infant—and rightfully so, because human colostrum contains immunoglobulins, oligosaccharides, beta-palmitate, polar lipids, growth factors, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, osteopontin, and lactalbumin.
These components are the building blocks of children’s immune and digestive systems that will set the stage for ongoing health as they age.
While human and animal colostrum can vary in levels of these compounds, over 90 functional compounds found in human colostrum are also found in colostrum from cows. Bovine colostrum can be shared with children as they grow older, continuing to support the ongoing health of the child’s immune system.
Children often suffer complications such as ear infections, sinus infections, asthma exacerbations, and pneumonia. They don’t eat and drink as well when sick, so their nutritional status may suffer. Plus, they miss school, and their parents miss work.
Developmental Growth
Once a mother delivers her new baby, parents and doctors alike begin to track the growth and development of the infant. As the child grows and is eating solid foods, many parents begin asking more nutrition-related questions, such as, “How can I support the development of my child as they become more of a picky eater?”
A study4 published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition looked at children ages 1 to 10 years who had mild or moderate unexplained failure to thrive (FTT). The children who received 40 milligrams of bovine colostrum per kg of body weight daily for three months experienced faster growth rates after three months of consuming cow colostrum supplements
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
In a study published in Medicine, children ages 1 to 6 who experienced recurrent URTIs and/or diarrhea received 3 or 6 grams, depending on their age, of bovine colostrum per day for six months. After two months of consuming the bovine colostrum supplement, they had fewer total infections, fewer URTI episodes, fewer diarrhea episodes, and fewer hospitalizations. After six months of receiving bovine colostrum, all of the measurers were significantly lower.
Diarrhea
Besides the upper respiratory tract infections that keep doctors busy, diarrheal disease is quite common in children, caused by a variety of different viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections. The complications from these infections include dehydration,
electrolyte imbalances, weight loss, and malnutrition.
A meta-analysis3 published in 2019 in the Scientific Reports journal by Nature Research looked at the protective effects of bovine colostrum against childhood infectious diarrhea. The researchers concluded that bovine colostrum consumption correlated with a significant reduction in stool frequency of infectious diarrhea, reducing the occurrence of diarrhea by 71%.
When choosing a natural supplement for your child's growth, it is important to focus on 3 compounds:
Immunoglobulins, to support a healthy immune system
Probiotics & prebiotics, to support a healthy microbiome
Growth factors, to maintain a healthy gut lining
Children on a diet rich in these compounds fare better compared to those lacking in these.
Comments