Author:
C. Muñoz-Esparza Nelly,Comas-Basté Oriol,M. Vásquez-Garibay Edgar,Teresa Veciana-Nogués M.,Luz Latorre-Moratalla M.,Carmen Vidal-Carou M.
Abstract
Breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant nutrition in the first six months of life when feeding choices determine growth and development. However, human milk is a complex and highly variable fluid that, in addition to nutrients, contains several bioactive components, including polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine), and constitutes the first exogenous source of these compounds for infants. Active in various cellular processes, polyamines are involved in the growth and maturation of the gastrointestinal tract and the development of the immune system and therefore play an important role in the first year of life. This chapter reviews the impact of polyamines on infant growth and health, the polyamine content in human milk and how it is influenced by factors related to both the mother-child dyad and breastfeeding itself. In addition, a comparative analysis of human milk and infant formulas in terms of polyamine content and profile is presented.