Posted on May 27, 2025

Dr. Maryann Perrin, Department of Nutrition professor

Donor milk or human milk has nutrients, but it’s also chock full of these bioactive molecules, and that’s where I say the secret sauce is — that’s not what you’re going to find in infant formula. Antimicrobial proteins can bind up bacteria and prevent them from getting into the infant’s blood supply. It has enzymes to help the infant digest the milk. It has white blood cells, and it has stem cells … It’s just this very dynamic biofluid.

Dr. Maryanne Perrin, Department of Nutrition professor

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