Investigations of a Formulated Substitute for Colostrum

Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely with 1 million losing their lives. Those who survive are often faced with chronic conditions. Human colostrum improves the health outcomes of preterm infants but is produced postpartum in small quantities. Current formulas do not meet these infants' needs. This thesis examines the formulation of a colostrum substitute mixture by comparing fat composition and structure formation with human colostrum during digestion. The benefits of this formulation were analysed against formulas in restoring gut health using intestinal cells. Colostrum substitute is our hope that preterm infants would not be deprived of healthy development.