Human milk and host defence: immediate and long-term effects

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Breastfeeding provides significant protection against various infant infections, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, and systemic diseases.
• Evidence suggests long-term benefits extending years after cessation, protecting against specific infections and improving vaccine efficacy.
• The immune-stimulating properties of breast milk, involving antibody and lymphocyte transfer, are increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize evidence on the protective effects of breastfeeding against infectious diseases in infants and children.
• To explore the long-term health benefits of breastfeeding beyond infancy.
• To investigate the potential role of breastfeeding in modulating the risk of chronic conditions such as allergies, autoimmune diseases, and certain cancers.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of existing epidemiological studies and clinical trials.
• Analysis of immunological mechanisms, including the transfer of maternal antibodies and immune cells.
• Longitudinal cohort studies examining health outcomes in breastfed versus formula-fed populations.

Main Results:

• Breastfeeding demonstrates significant protection against diarrhoea, respiratory infections, otitis media, bacteraemia, meningitis, botulism, urinary tract infections, and necrotizing enterocolitis.
• Long-term protection against Haemophilus influenzae type b infections, otitis media, diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and wheezing bronchitis is well-documented.
• Breast milk components actively stimulate the infant immune system, potentially reducing the risk of coeliac disease, allergic conditions, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and certain tumors.

Conclusions:

• Breastfeeding confers substantial short-term and long-term health advantages for infants and children.
• The immunological transfer via breast milk plays a crucial role in immune system development and disease prevention.
• Further research is warranted to confirm the protective effects of breastfeeding against chronic diseases and cancers.