Colostrum (known colloquially as beestings bisnings or first milk) is that the first sort of
milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals (including many humans) immediately following the delivery of the newborn. Most
species will generate
colostrum just before parturition.
Colostrum contains antibodies to guard the newborn against disease. In general, protein concentration in
colostrum is substantially above in milk. Fat concentration is substantially higher in
colostrum than in
milk in some species, e.g. sheep and horses, but lower in
colostrum than in
milk in another species, e.g. camels and humans, In swine, the fat concentration of
milk at 48 to 72 hours postpartum may be higher than in
colostrum or in late-lactation milk. Fat concentration in bovine
colostrum is extremely variable.
Relevant Topics in Medical Sciences
