Immunoglobulin A level in human milk from mothers delivering preterm

Little information is available on immunoglobulin content of milk from mothers of preterm babies. In this study we have measured IgA levels in samples from preterm and term mothers during the 1st month postpartum. The concentration of IgA tended to be constant in the preterm group (about 251 mg/dl) while it showed a decreasing trend in the term group (from 212.8 +/- 19.9 to 171.6 +/- 12.8 mg/dl). From day 10 onward IgA levels in preterm milk were significantly higher than in term milk (p less than 0.002). These findings support the idea that premature infants fed their own mothers' milk would benefit from more stable levels of IgA, at a time when their mucosal immune system is poorly developed.