Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

Review of the relationships between maternal characteristics and preterm breastmilk immune components

Shelley Thibeau1, Karen D'Apolito

  • 1Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, TN 37240, USA. shelley.thibeau@vanderbilt.edu

Biological Research for Nursing
|March 30, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Breast milk provides crucial immunity for infants, reducing infections and mortality, especially for premature babies. Understanding its immune components can improve infant health interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal immunology
  • Infant nutrition
  • Public health

Background:

  • Breast milk is vital for infant immunity, offering passive and active protection against infections.
  • Premature infants are at high risk for mortality and morbidity, with nosocomial infections and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) posing significant threats.
  • Hospitalized preterm infants consuming breast milk show improved outcomes, including shorter hospital stays and reduced infection rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review breast milk's immune components and their impact on infant health, particularly for preterm infants.
  • To explore factors that influence breast milk's immunological properties.
  • To inform future interventions aimed at enhancing breast milk's benefits for vulnerable infants.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of immunological components in breast milk.
  • Analysis of factors moderating breast milk's immune properties.
  • Examination of the relationship between breast milk components and preterm infant health outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Breast milk contains key immune factors like secretory immunoglobulin A, lactoferrin (LFT), and cytokines.
  • These components, along with nutrition, significantly enhance neonatal health and reduce infection incidence.
  • Maternal characteristics influence breast milk's immune composition, affecting its protective capabilities.

Conclusions:

  • Breast milk's complex immune properties are essential for reducing preterm infant mortality and morbidity.
  • Further research into breast milk composition can guide the development of targeted interventions.
  • Optimizing breast milk's immunological benefits is crucial for improving neonatal care and outcomes.

More Related Videos

Isolation of Leukocytes from Human Breast Milk for Use in an Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis Assay of HIV Targets08:12

Isolation of Leukocytes from Human Breast Milk for Use in an Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis Assay of HIV Targets

Published on: September 6, 2019

Mapping Infant Immunity with Minimal Input: Integrative Single-Cell and Multiomic Profiling10:29

Mapping Infant Immunity with Minimal Input: Integrative Single-Cell and Multiomic Profiling

Published on: April 3, 2026

Related Concept Videos

Development of Human Microbiota01:30

Development of Human Microbiota

The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
Development of the Oral Microbiota01:28

Development of the Oral Microbiota

The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...
Anatomy of the Intestines01:23

Anatomy of the Intestines

Although digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids may begin in the stomach, it is completed in the intestine. The absorption of nutrients, water, and electrolytes from food and drink also occurs in the intestine. The intestines can be divided into two structurally distinct organs—the small and large intestines.
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the small...