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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
08:12
Isolation of Leukocytes from Human Breast Milk for Use in an Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis Assay of HIV Targets
Published on: September 6, 2019
Breastfeeding, breast milk and viruses
James S Lawson1, Joy Heads, Wendy K Glenn
1School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. james.lawson@unsw.edu.au
BMC Women'S Health
|October 9, 2007
Summary
Newborn infants are nearly universally exposed to breast milk, challenging the assumption that milk-borne viruses cannot cause breast cancer. This exposure highlights a potential link between human milk-borne viruses and breast cancer development.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Virology
- Public Health
Background:
- Existing research suggests no link between breastfeeding and breast cancer.
- This has led to the assumption that milk-borne viruses are not associated with human breast cancer.
- Past studies overlooked infant exposure to colostrum and breast milk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the extent of newborn infant exposure to colostrum and breast milk.
- To challenge the assumption that milk-borne viruses cannot be linked to breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Prospective review of 100 infant births to assess exposure to colostrum/breast milk.
- Analysis of breastfeeding practices for over 87,000 infants in New South Wales, Australia.
- Study approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New South Wales.
Main Results:
- Nearly all (97%) infants in the center were exposed to colostrum or breast milk.
- Exposure rates ranged from 82.2% to 98.7% across 87,000 infants.
- Exposure occurred regardless of whether infants were fully breastfed.
Conclusions:
- Near-universal exposure of newborns to colostrum and breast milk is common in Western communities.
- This widespread exposure creates a pathway for human milk-borne virus transmission.
- The findings contradict the established belief that milk-borne viruses are unrelated to breast cancer.
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