Immunomodulatory Effects of Breast Milk on Food Allergy

Human milk (HM) is not only considered the ideal nutrition source for term infants during the first six months of life by providing nutrients needed for growth and development 1, but it also provides antimicrobial and immunomodulatory factors providing defense against infections 2, 3. Thereby, breastfeeding provides continued exposure to the mother ’s immune system during the crucial window of first few months of life, when the infant’s immune system is constantly developing. However, the immunomodulatory make up of HM has not been well-characterized and demonstrates a great deal of variability between mothers, which implies that the benef it of breastfeeding to the breastfed infants may differ between dyads.
Source: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Source Type: research