STUDY: Breastfeeding could transfer life-long protection against infection

The Daily Mail is reporting:

“Immune protection passed on through a mother’s milk could last for years longer than expected, according to scientists.

Tests on mice found mothers which had recovered from an infection could pass on their immunity through breast milk with long-lasting effects.

In one case, a baby mouse became protected from a worm infection for their entire lives, researchers said.

The finding, branded ‘remarkable’, added another element to their understanding of how mothers affect their children’s health.“

As if women needed more assurance other than their natural intuition, CNBC reports:

It is clear from recent government data that women have sided with science. The 2016 breastfeeding report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that breastfeeding rates are increasing. Four out of five infants start feeding on breast milk after birth, according to the report, and more than half are still breastfeeding at six months.

A number of health organizations, including WHO, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, endorse breastfeeding as the best choice for babies.

Often called the “perfect food” for a baby’s digestive system, breast milk contains nutrients such as lactose, protein and fat that are easily digested by a newborn, according to Nemours, a U.S. pediatric health system. This leads to babies having fewer bouts of diarrhea or constipation.

The Mayo Clinic states that breast milk is “the gold standard,” citing its balance of nutrients and ability to boost the baby’s immune system. It naturally contains antibodies that aren’t found in formula, which helps prevent ear infections, asthma, respiratory infections and other illnesses, the American Academy of Pediatrics states. It also contains leptin and ghrelin, hormones that control appetite in a child, according to a research paper published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

For a list of scientific studies and abstracts on breastfeeding visit GreenMedInfo.com here:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/therapeutic-action/breastfeeding