There is a critical need for iron intake during the first period of life. The growing infant requires iron to synthesize hemoglobin and to supply expanding tissues with iron-containing enzymes. A lack of iron will eventually lead to iron deficiency anemia, one of the most common single nutrient deficiencies in the world. Today, detailed information has increased our understanding of iron bioavailability from different dietary sources, uptake mechanisms of iron into the small intestinal mucosa for transport to hepatocytes and erythropoietic cells and subsequent receptor mediated cellular...

For the first time, an entire publication has been dedicated to providing a critical review of the identification and analysis of the milk specific proteins such as lactalbumin, lactoferrin and casein; the non-milk specific proteins such as plasma and membrane proteins; and the minor nitrogen-containing components such as enzymes, hormones, and growth factors. Biological roles, whether nutritional, endocrinological or immunological, of the specific nitrogen compounds in mammary milk production and/or growth and development of the breast-fed infant are also presented. Identification of the...

Lactoferrin is an intriguing protein with an interesting structure and several known or suggested biological activities. We feel that attention on this protein has been too limited and diffuse, partly because it has been "hidden" among other well-known iron-binding proteins such as hemoglobin, ferritin and transferrin, but also perhaps because its biological functions are so diverse. Investigators that focus on lactoferrin represent a wide variety of medical and scientific disciplines that do not usually come together. It was our intention to improve that situation with this symposium. In...

Almost every aspect of energy and nutrient metabolism is altered by hormonal and other physiological changes during pregnancy and lactation. While it is evident that hormonal adjustments affect nutrient requirements, these are rarely considered when nutrient recommen- dations are made for pregnant or lactating women, and often neglected during evaluation of nutritional status. In addition, changes in nutrient metabolism during the stages of pregnancy and oflactation are usually considered separately, while in reality events during pregnancy can have a major influence on nutritional status and...