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Exploring the effects of formula feeding on infant immune development in China: A prospective cohort study
Xiao-Chen Yin1, Li-Jia Xiao1, Chuan-Zhu Yi1
1Department of toxicology, Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hunan, China.
Insights
Formula feeding impacts infant immune development differently than breastfeeding, affecting immunoglobulin and cytokine levels. However, formula feeding does not significantly increase the risk of common infant infections like diarrhea or respiratory issues.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition
Background:
- Suboptimal global exclusive breastfeeding rates necessitate understanding infant formula's impact.
- Infant feeding practices significantly influence immune system development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of formula feeding versus breastfeeding on infant immune development.
- To compare immune markers and infection rates between breastfed and formula-fed infants.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 221 infants, comparing breast milk and formula groups.
- Measurement of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA), cytokines (IL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α), NK cell activity, and lymphocyte transformation at 3 and 9 months.
- Assessment of infant diarrhea, respiratory infections, and allergic disease incidence.
Main Results:
- Formula-fed infants showed higher total IgG, IgG1, IFN-γ, and NK cell activity at 3 months.
- At 9 months, formula-fed infants had higher total IgG, IgA, and TNF-α, but lower lymphocyte stimulation index.
- No significant differences in the incidence of diarrhea or respiratory infections were observed between groups.
Conclusions:
- Formula and breastfeeding contribute differently to infant immune development.
- Formula feeding does not appear to significantly increase the risk of common infant infections.
- Further research into specific immune pathways influenced by feeding type is warranted.
Background And Objectives:
The worldwide exclusive breastfeeding rate is suboptimal and this study aims to evaluate effects on infant immune development of formula feeding.
Methods And Study Design:
A prospective study including 221 infants fed with breast milk or formula was conducted. At 3-month and 9-month, the concentrations of total immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgM, IgA, IgG1, IgG2, interleukin (IL)-4, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Natural killer (NK) cell activity and lymphocyte transformation testing were conducted. Furthermore, the occurrence of infantile diarrhea, respiratory infections and allergic diseases were questioned.
Results:
The levels of total IgG (Z=-3.21, p=0.001), IgG1 (Z=-2.12, p=0.034), IFN-γ (t=-2.09, p=0.039) and NK cell activity (t=-2.14, p=0.034) were significant higher in formula-fed infants compared to breast-fed after 3 months. At 9-month, the levels of total IgG (Z=-4.34, p<0.001), IgA (Z=-2.05, p=0.041) and TNF-α (t=-2.10, p=0.037) of formula-fed infants were higher, but the lymphocyte stimulation index (t=2.76, p=0.007) was lower than breast-fed infants. While, no significant differences were found in the incidences of diarrhea and respiratory tract infection (p>0.05).
Conclusions:
This investigation suggested that formula- and breast-feeding have different contributions to infant immune development, but the formula feeding would not cause significantly increase of diarrhea and respiratory infections.
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