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Does Breastfeeding Protect Young Infants From Pertussis? Case-control Study and Immunologic Evaluation
Elisabetta Pandolfi1, Francesco Gesualdo, Emanuela Carloni
1From the *Multifactorial Disease and Complex Phenotype Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital; †Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCSS; ‡Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University of Rome; §Immunology Unit, Immunology and Pharmacal Therapy Area, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCSS; and ¶Department of Infectious, Parasitic & Immuno-mediated Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Breastfeeding does not appear to protect unvaccinated infants from pertussis (whooping cough). Further research is needed to find alternative strategies to prevent this serious infant infection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pertussis (whooping cough) poses a severe risk to unvaccinated infants.
- Breastfeeding is a common preventative measure for many infant diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effect of breastfeeding against pertussis in young, unvaccinated infants.
- To analyze the association between breastfeeding practices and pertussis infection in infants.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving hospitalized infants under 6 months with confirmed pertussis (cases) and healthy controls.
- Exclusion of vaccinated infants; collection of sociodemographic, clinical, and feeding data.
- Analysis of breast milk IgA and bacterial binding, and maternal serum IgG against Bordetella pertussis.
Main Results:
- Exclusive breastfeeding showed no significant association with protection against pertussis.
- Infants with siblings had a higher risk of pertussis.
- Maternal IgG titers were higher in cases, but breast milk IgA and bacterial binding showed no protective correlation.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding does not appear to be an effective strategy for preventing pertussis in infants.
- Alternative methods are necessary to safeguard unvaccinated infants against pertussis.
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