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Breast-feeding, infant formulas, and the immune system
Lars A Hanson1, Marina Korotkova, Esbjörn Telemo
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. lars.a.hanson@immuno.gu.se
Summary
Breast-feeding offers significant protection against allergies by providing immune-boosting antibodies and promoting tolerance. Maternal diet, particularly fat intake, may influence the effectiveness of this protection.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition
Background:
- Breast-feeding offers numerous benefits to infants, including protection against infections and immune system development.
- A debate exists regarding breast-feeding's efficacy in preventing allergies compared to infant formulas.
- Understanding the mechanisms of breast-feeding's protective effects is crucial for infant health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the mechanisms by which breast-feeding may protect offspring against allergy.
- To discuss the role of human milk components in immune development and tolerance induction.
- To explore the influence of maternal diet on breast-feeding's allergy-preventive effects.
Main Methods:
- Literature search via the internet.
- Inclusion of the authors' own data.
- Review of existing studies and animal data.
Main Results:
- Human milk provides secretory IgA antibodies, primarily targeting maternal gut microbes and food proteins, offering defense against neonatal microbes.
- Breast-feeding stimulates infant immune system development and tolerance, potentially reducing allergic reactivity to foods.
- Components in human milk enhance infant host defense and tolerance capacity.
Conclusions:
- While studies show breast-feeding prevents allergic diseases, some evidence contradicts this.
- Animal data suggest that maternal fat intake, specifically a lower n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio, enhances protection.
- Breast-feeding's protective effect against allergies may be diminished in populations with unfavorable maternal fat intake.