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Maternal antibodies in breast milk protect the child from enterovirus infections

Karita Sadeharju1, Mikael Knip, Suvi M Virtanen

  • 1Department of Virology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

Pediatrics
|May 3, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding protects infants from enterovirus infections. Maternal antibodies in breast milk are key to this protective effect, reducing infection rates in infants who are breastfed for longer durations.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics
  • Virology

Background:

  • Enterovirus infections pose significant risks to infants, potentially leading to severe health complications.
  • Understanding protective mechanisms against these common viral infections is crucial for infant health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the protective role of breastfeeding against enterovirus infections in infants.
  • To determine if maternal antibodies in breast milk or infant circulation contribute to this protection.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective follow-up of 150 infants from birth, monitoring for enterovirus infections.
  • Collection of maternal breast milk and blood samples at 3-month intervals for antibody and RNA analysis.
  • Recording breastfeeding duration and analyzing maternal serum from pregnancy through postpartum.

Main Results:

  • Enterovirus infections occurred in 43% of infants by age one; 15% of mothers were infected during pregnancy.
  • Infants exclusively breastfed for over two weeks experienced fewer enterovirus infections compared to those breastfed for two weeks or less.
  • Elevated maternal antibody levels in serum and breast milk correlated with reduced infection frequency, specifically in infants breastfed longer than two weeks.

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding demonstrates a significant protective effect against enterovirus infections during infancy.
  • The primary mechanism for this protection appears to be the transfer of maternal antibodies present in breast milk.
Abstract

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