Q.What is colostrum and why is it important for a newborn?

[!TLDR]

Colostrum is the antibody-rich first milk secreted in the initial days after childbirth, giving the newborn passive immunity. …

Before mature milk secretion is fully established, the mammary glands secrete colostrum, which contains comparatively less fat than mature milk but is packed with maternal antibodies, particularly IgA. These antibodies pass through the newborn's digestive tract largely intact and protect the infant against a range of infections at a stage when it cannot yet make sufficient antibodies of its own -- the reason doctors recommend breastfeeding, and colostrum feeding specifically, from birth. …

State both what colostrum is (the first, antibody-rich milk) and why it matters (passive immunity …

Describing colostrum simply as 'the first milk' without naming its defining, functionally important feature -- its high an …