Bioactive components of human milk

Czech version

Authors: I. Burianová
Authors‘ workplace: Novorozenecké oddělení s JIP, Fakultní Thomayerova nemocnice, Praha
Published in: Čes-slov Neonat 2025; 31 (2): 98-103.
Category: Original Paper

Overview

Human milk (HM) provides healthy mucosal stimuli with its bioactive components, influences the composition of intestinal microflora and supports the developing immune system. The role of the bioactive components of HM is complex and in many ways still unclear. The immune system of the newborn is the so-called „naïve to the new extrauterine environment. Through the mucosa of the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract, there is an exposure with antigens to which it must respond. At the same time, the setting of tolerance to certain antigens is modulated. HM mediates either primarily immune defense (direct defense against infections) or has an immunomodulatory function (bioactive components affect the immune systém). This overview focuses on the function of soluble immune components of HM.

Keywords:

lactation – human milk – neonatal immune system – term and premature newborn

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