What deficiency is associated with premature human milk?

The correct answer is calcium. Premature human milk typically has lower levels of certain nutrients when compared to full-term human milk. Specifically, the calcium content in premature milk is often not sufficient to meet the needs of premature infants, who have higher demands for calcium due to their rapid growth and development. This is particularly important as calcium is crucial for bone mineralization and overall growth in neonates.

Infants born prematurely may require supplementation or specially designed formula that provides adequate amounts of calcium and other critical nutrients to support their health and development. This condition results from the fact that premature human milk is tailored to the needs of the mother’s term infant, thus it lacks certain components that are more abundant in full-term milk, like calcium and protein.

In this context, vitamin C and protein are also important nutrients, but they are generally not as critically deficient in premature milk as calcium is. Iron, while essential, is not typically specified as a deficiency in premature milk in the same manner as calcium. Therefore, recognizing the calcium deficiency offers a clearer understanding of the nutritional challenges faced by premature neonates and the necessity for specific interventions to support their growth.