colostrum

(noun)

A form of milk produced by the mammary glands in late pregnancy and the few days after giving birth. Human and bovine colostrum is thick and yellowish. In humans, it has high concentrations of nutrients and antibodies, but it is small in quantity.

Related Terms

Examples of colostrum in the following topics:

  • Physiology of Lactation

    • This is when the breasts make colostrum, a thick, sometimes yellowish fluid.
    • It is not a medical concern if a pregnant woman leaks any colostrum before her baby's birth, nor is it an indication of future milk production.
    • Colostrum is the first milk a breastfed baby receives.
    • Over the first two weeks after the birth, colostrum production slowly gives way to mature breast milk.

  • Onset of Labor

  • Mammary Glands

    • In late pregnancy and for the first few days after giving birth, colostrum is secreted.