What is Lactoferrin?
According to WebMD – a leading US health news site, Lactoferrin (other names: Bovine Lactoferrin, Human Lactoferrin,…) is a type of protein found in breast milk, animal milk (cow, sheep, goat,… ) and other body fluids (saliva, tears, bile,…).
Lactoferrin has the highest content in colostrum – the first milk produced when a baby is born. Currently, Lactoferrin is often used in the treatment of low iron levels during pregnancy, sepsis in premature babies,…
Lactoferrin has many health benefits
Wonderful benefits of Lactoferrin for baby’s health
The immune systems of infants and young children are immature and vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. That is the reason why children often get sick, often suffer from respiratory and digestive diseases. Therefore, supplementing Lactoferrin to increase resistance for children is extremely important. This active ingredient brings 3 outstanding benefits to children’s immune system such as:
- Antibacterial, antimicrobial: Scientists say that Lactoferrin has the effect of inhibiting the growth of many types of bacteria (including both gram-negative and gram-positive). Because Lactoferrin has the ability to bind and transport free iron to cells, blocking the iron supply to bacteria, inhibiting their growth.
- Antiviral: Lactoferrin plays a role in preventing viruses (adenovirus, enterovirus,…) from binding and entering cells by binding to glycosaminoglycans on the cell membrane.
- Increase resistance for babies: Because Lactoferrin is positively charged, it will bind to negatively charged molecules on the surface of cells, thereby activating signals leading to an immune response.
In addition to the above benefits, some studies indicate that Lactoferrin also has essential effects for the baby’s development such as:
- Stimulates the development of bone-forming cells, preventing osteoporosis.
- Protects the stomach lining against the attack of Helicobacter pylori bacteria – The leading agent causing stomach ulcers.
When should Lactoferrin be supplemented for children?
In the above section, mothers must have understood the extremely important role of Lactoferrin for the health of the baby. So when should Lactoferrin be supplemented for children? The answer is that babies need Lactoferrin supplementation to increase resistance right from birth, especially from 6 to 36 months of age.
Because by the age of 3-4, the child’s immune system is complete and produces enough antibodies to fight against pathogens. At birth, babies receive “passive antibodies” from breast milk, however, these antibodies will gradually decrease from the 6th month. Therefore, from 6 to 36 months is called the “immunity gap” period and it is also the time when children need to supplement Lactoferrin to enhance resistance the most.
Thus, for newborns, it is best to breastfeed to supplement Lactoferrin. For children from 6 months of age, mothers should consider using other products to provide enough Lactoferrin the baby’s body needs.
Notes when using Lactoferrin for babies
When using Lactoferrin for babies, mothers need to pay attention to the following things to promote good effectiveness and ensure safety for their children:
- Use the correct dosage: According to recommendations, children should be given Lactoferrin at a dose of 100-250mg/day. If abused, an overdose of Lactoferrin can cause some side effects such as fatigue, constipation, loss of appetite,…
- Duration of use: Lactoferrin should be used for about 1 year depending on the purpose of use and the baby’s health condition.
- Use as directed: Carefully read the instructions accompanying the products, do not arbitrarily combine many Lactoferrin-containing products together because it can easily cause overdose, side effects due to drug interactions,…. If using Lactoferrin-containing products with other medications, consult your doctor.
- Choose quality products: Reputable, quality products will ensure that Lactoferrin is extracted in its pure form, without affecting the baby’s health.
Simple ways to supplement Lactoferrin for babies
Lactoferrin also needs to be supplemented correctly to maximize its effectiveness and ensure safety, without harming the baby’s health. Here are 4 simple and easy-to-apply ways to help mothers fully supplement Lactoferrin for their babies.
Breast milk is a rich source of Lactoferrin
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. Because breast milk is the ideal combination of the best nutrients for baby’s development, especially colostrum.
Mother’s colostrum is produced from the end of the 7th month and appears within 72 hours after birth. This milk contains high levels of Lactoferrin (6-10mg/ml) – The “golden” active ingredient that strengthens immunity, protects the baby in the first months of life.
However, as mentioned above, the amount of Lactoferrin in breast milk will gradually decrease over time and disappear completely from 9 months of age. After this time, the baby’s immature immune system is very susceptible to viruses and bacteria, making the baby sick easily. Therefore, mothers should refer to some other ways below to supplement Lactoferrin for their children.
Using Lactoferrin medicine
Currently, there are many drugs and functional foods on the market containing Lactoferrin ingredients such as: Pravotin, Lactoferrin Gold, Ironemic, Liquid Immune Plus with Lactoferrin (Brauer), Jarrow Formulas Lactoferrin,…
However, these products often combine many different active ingredients and have indications for treatment in specific cases. Mothers should only give their babies Lactoferrin-containing drugs and functional foods after being examined and prescribed by a doctor.
Supplementing Lactoferrin with colostrum
Mothers can supplement lactoferrin for their babies with animal colostrum. These types of colostrum often contain nutritional components similar to mother’s colostrum. Animal colostrum is usually processed from the colostrum of cows through modern extraction technology.
According to the advice of nutritionists, mothers should use animal colostrum for babies in the following cases:
- When the baby is breastfed but is thin, malnourished, or often sick.
- The mother accidentally squeezed out the first colostrum.
- Mothers want to supplement to increase resistance for babies after 6 months of age.
Some brands of colostrum containing Lactoferrin on the market that mothers can refer to are Colostrum milk from Germany, ILdong milk from Korea,…
When using colostrum to supplement Lactoferrin from animals for babies, mothers need to pay special attention:
- Colostrum cannot completely replace breast milk and formula milk, meaning that when supplementing Lactoferrin for babies with colostrum, it is still necessary to breastfeed or drink formula milk to provide adequate nutrients for the baby.
- Pay attention to the ingredient list when choosing colostrum, ensuring that the child is not allergic to any active ingredients. In addition, mothers need to choose the right type of colostrum containing Lactoferrin suitable for the baby’s age.
- Combine colostrum with formula, fresh milk or baby’s food.
- Mix colostrum correctly and as directed by the manufacturer. 40 degrees C is the right temperature to mix colostrum to ensure that the milk does not lose nutrients. This milk dissolves slower in water, so mothers need to stir well and for a long time before giving it to the baby.
Supplementing Lactoferrin effectively for babies with formula milk
Supplementing Lactoferrin for babies with formula milk is a more convenient and suitable way that mothers should choose. This measure both supplements Lactoferrin and provides all the necessary nutrients to help the baby have good resistance, less illness, healthy digestion, rapid weight gain and comprehensive development.
This type of milk is recommended by experts for children in the following cases:
- Mothers have little or no milk due to a number of reasons such as weak health, history of breast surgery,…
- Mothers of twins, triplets do not have enough milk for all babies.
- The mother is being treated with drugs that may affect the baby, so she cannot breastfeed.
- The mother is busy working or is in a situation where she is not often with the child.
- Premature babies or babies with medical conditions need more nutrition than normal.
- The baby is breastfed but is thin, malnourished, or often sick.
- Mothers want to supplement to increase resistance for babies after 6 months of age,…
When supplementing Lactoferrin for babies with formula, mothers need to keep in mind the following:
- Choose reputable quality milk suitable for the baby’s age and condition: Mothers need to carefully check if the milk contains Lactoferrin, how much, and other information (origin, genuine stamp, expiration date,…).
- Prepare milk according to instructions: Correct ratio, ensure both the amount of water, appropriate temperature, do not heat milk in the microwave.
- Do not mix or arbitrarily combine many types of formula: This can overload the baby’s digestive system, easily cause allergies and excess nutrients,…
Currently, there are many types of formula milk on the market that add Lactoferrin for babies from many different brands, of which Morinaga from Japan is the first milk brand in the world to add Lactoferrin, which is favored by many mothers. After more than 20 years of tireless research (1960-1986), Morinaga has brought 3 types of milk containing Lactoferrin with balanced nutritional ingredients suitable for each age of the baby:
- Morinaga Hagukumi number 1 for babies under 6 months old.
- Morinaga Chilmil number 2 for babies 6-36 months old.
- Morinaga Kodomil number 3 for children over 36 months old.
Appropriate milk intake by age for babies
Not only supplementing Lactoferrin to enhance resistance for babies, Morinaga milk is also loved by thousands of Vietnamese mothers because of its outstanding advantages such as:
- It is a cool milk, supplemented with more than 2.8 billion Bifidobacterium longum BB536/100g probiotics, Bifidus prebiotics (Lactose, Raffinose, Duphalac, GOS), Zinc and B vitamins to help babies eat deliciously, healthy digestive system, good absorption.
- Provides balanced nutrients suitable for the physique of Vietnamese children, while enhancing AHA/ARA, DHA, Calcium, Vitamin D3 to help children fully develop their brain and physique.
- Morinaga milk has a taste similar to breast milk, is easy to drink and very suitable for babies’ taste.
- High quality product of Morinaga Industry Co., Ltd., manufactured and packaged entirely in Japan.
The above article has provided mothers with useful information related to Lactoferrin. Hopefully, mothers have a better understanding of this active ingredient and know how to supplement it appropriately and effectively for their babies. If you have any questions, please connect immediately with Morinaga’s nutritionist via hotline 0916 434 429 for the most detailed and fastest answers.
