Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🍼 Before breastfeeding 🍼 Early baby feed
prelacteal

prelacteal

9.9
Given to a newborn before the mother's first breastfeeding
  • adjective
  • /ˌpriːˈlæktiːəl/
  • Specialized
: prelacteal
  • Doctors advise against prelacteal feeding because it may increase the risk of infection in newborns.

Examples

  • In some regions, prelacteal feeds like sugar water are given to babies before breastfeeding begins.

  • The nurse explained that prelacteal substances are not necessary for healthy infants.

  • The hospital provided a prelacteal formula for the newborn.

  • Some pediatricians recommend prelacteal feeding practices.

  • The pediatrician emphasized the risks associated with prelacteal feeding practices in the first hours of a newborn's life.

  • Many parents are worried that using prelacteal feeds could harm their baby's health before breastfeeding.

  • Health experts suggest avoiding prelacteal feeds to ensure that infants receive the full benefits of breastfeeding.

Surface Forms

prelacteal positive

Morphology

prelacteal = lacteal (semi-transparent) = pre + lacteal

Formed by the productive prefix 'pre-' + 'lacteal' so the composition is clear, but both elements are technical and 'lacteal' is rare, making it only partially accessible to typical learners.

Etymology

Prelacteal comes from pre- 'before' and lact- 'milk', the same 'lact' you see in lactation and lactose, so it describes something given to a baby before the mother's first milk.