Protective Factors of Breastmilk

Breastfeeding

One of the unique qualities of breastmilk is its amazing ability to protect infants from various infections and allergies. Breastmilk provides this protection in a variety of ways.

Inhibits Intestinal Bacterial Growth

• Products of the digestion of breastmilk change the environment in the gastrointestinal tract so that bacteria growth is limited or halted.
• Enzymes are proteins in breastmilk which resist digestion. Enzymes attack bacteria and prevent it from crossing the intestines.
• Macrophages are large cells found in breastmilk that digest bacteria and assist in other ways to provide resistance to bacterial growth.

Immunoglobulins
Immunoglobulins are antibodies that fight bacteria and help an individual resist infections. Immunoglobulins are passed to the infant:

• During Pregnancy: The placenta delivers antibodies from the mother's blood to the baby. Immunoglobulin IgG is one of these proteins that crosses the placenta to protect the fetus. This protection can last up to six months after birth.
• Through Milk: Colostrum is the milk that comes from the breasts in the first few days after birth. It is a thick, typically yellow fluid. It is high in protein, low in fat, carbohydrate, and calories. It contains many antibodies to microorganisms to which the mother has already been exposed. It provides protection from infections and illness. Most of the protective and anti-infective factors found in mature breastmilk are provided in much greater quantities in colostrum.
  
  Mature milk is the milk that the breasts produce after the first 2 weeks. When a breastfed baby is exposed to a new germ, he passes this organism to the mother. The mother immediately begins to make a matching immunoglobulin that passes back to the baby through the breastmilk. So, as the baby begins to get sick, mom is making the "medicine" to fight the illness through her breastmilk.
  
  If the mother experiences a cold or flu, it is not necessary for her to stop breastfeeding. Disease transmission between an infant and mother is most likely due to close contact, not breastmilk. Mother should cover her mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, practice good handwashing, and continue to breastfeed to best protect her infant. If medical attention is needed, a mother should inform her physician of her breastfeeding status so appropriate medication can be prescribed if necessary.

Antiallergen
Studies indicate that breastmilk reduces the risk of food allergies as compared to formula. The exact mechanism of this protection is not precisely known. It has been theorized that breastmilk promotes the rapid maturation of the infant's intestines. The mature intestine prevents large proteins, which are associated with allergy development, from crossing the intestine wall. It is also thought that breastmilk may contain other protective factors not found in infant formula.