Bile Salt‐Stimulated Lipase Activity in Human Colostrum from Mothers of Infants of Different Gestational Age and Birthweight

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL) activity was measured in milk collected at 3-4 days postpartum (colostrum) from 36 mothers divided into three groups according to gestational age and birthweight of their infants. BSSL activity changed with the length of gestation. Pre-term colostrum presented a mean activity significantly higher than the term groups (small-for-gestational age and appropriate-for-gestational age) which had similar values. The ratio of BSSL activity to the estimated fat content was 6.33 in colostrum of mothers who delivered preterm and 4.20 in colostrum of both groups of term mothers. These data suggest that preterm colostrum has a higher fat digesting potential than term colostrum and that it is the gestational age rather than the adequacy or non-adequacy of birthweight to gestational age that may influence the BSSL activity.