In plain words
Lactoferrin is one of the many proteins in breast milk. It binds iron tightly, and lab studies have shown it can slow the growth of some germs. Milk also carries other protective parts, including antibodies and white blood cells. Researchers have studied lactoferrin for years, and they think it may play a part in how a baby's gut and immune system develop. Many of these findings come from lab work and small studies, so the results are not yet clear for babies. Lactoferrin is also added to some infant formulas, and the amount varies between products. Lactoferrin is higher in and declines as lactation goes on.
The deeper version
Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family. It is present in human milk at concentrations higher in colostrum that decline over lactation. In vitro it has antibacterial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activity, partly through iron sequestration and direct membrane interaction. Hassiotou and colleagues (2013) showed that leukocyte populations in breast milk respond rapidly to maternal and infant infection, a related immune signal. Trials of lactoferrin-supplemented formula in preterm and term infants have reported lower rates of infection in some studies, but results are inconsistent, and the in vivo mechanism is not established. The controversy is whether formula reproduces any benefit of the native protein, given differences in glycosylation and dose across products.
Where it comes up
- Colostrum and the first days before milk comes inFeeding Your Baby
- Donor milkFeeding Your Baby
- Building and storing a milk stashFeeding Your Baby
- Getting sick while postpartumPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say about lactoferrin
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Sources
- Hassiotou F et al. — Maternal and infant infections stimulate a rapid leukocyte response in breastmilk. Clinical and Translational Immunology, 2013