The unique protection that breast milk affords babies stems from the symbiotic relationships between its different components and the interaction between them and the newborn , which makes each lactation unique.
This food strengthens the immune system of babies and prevents infections, according to researchers and doctors speaking at the XIV International Symposium on Breastfeeding organized by Medela.
According to their conclusions, investigating these interactions would clarify the role of breast milk, for example, in the prevention of allergies.
Components of breast milk
According to the participants in the symposium, researchers from around the world on breastfeeding issues, the molecules that make up breast milk do not work individually, but together, to create symbiotic relationships that respond to the needs of each child.
This system of interactions is responsible for the ability of breast milk to strengthen the baby’s immune system and stop infections. Enhancing research on the components of human milk as a whole would explain the mechanism behind the benefits for newborns.
Interaction of milk with the newborn
In the symbiotic relationships between the different components of breast milk, it is also necessary to take into account the interaction between the mother and the newborn, that is, how the components of breast milk act in the baby’s body.
All this makes each lactation unique, so experts call for more research to define these complex interactions and identify how the immune components of breast milk act.
It is also necessary to clarify what environmental factors can affect the correct development of the defense system of babies. Researchers agree that there is still a long way to go to discover the full potential of breastfeeding.
The role of milk in allergies
One of the most powerful branches of research in the study of the baby’s immune system is that which tries to identify the role of breast milk in protecting against allergies.
So far the potential of breast milk to prevent allergies is known, but not its mechanism of action.
Daniel Munblit, associate professor at the Moscow Sechenov State Medical University (Russia), insisted during the symposium on the importance of expanding research in this field, studying the interrelationship between the different components of breast milk involved.
According to the expert, the goal is to study a large set of biomarkers instead of small groups or each one independently:
“The components of breast milk continuously establish symbiotic relationships, working together, or antagonistic, nullifying the effects of the opposite. It is these intricate interactions, which we are close to discovering, that play a key role in breastfeeding’s ability to protect newborns from allergies. “
The role of breast milk in premature babies
Dr. Daniel Klotz, from the University of Freiburg (Germany), insisted on the importance of involving the staff of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in breastfeeding mothers, facilitating the feeding of premature babies with breast milk. This position is reinforced by the strong potential of colostrum in the prevention of chronic diseases.
In turn, Dr. Janet Berrington from Brunel University in London, has stressed the importance of nutrition in premature babies, since it directly influences the risk of infections, the possible development of chronic diseases, food intolerances, as well as in the development of later problems, such as obesity or asthma. For this reason, he believes that it is very important to make the mother’s own milk compatible with tube feeding in the NICU.
Savings in healthcare costs
It was another topic that was addressed in this symposium, in which the United Kingdom, where it was held, was specifically discussed.
Dr Subhash Pokhrel of Brunel University in London pointed out that if 80% of mothers in his country breast-fed their children for at least six months, the health system would save £ 40 million annually:
“We know with certainty that, in developed countries, eight out of ten women initiate breastfeeding after giving birth. The problem is that he leaves it between one and six weeks later. In the UK only 1% of mothers are breastfeeding for six months ”.
Leaving economic figures aside, what is undeniable is the important role that breast milk plays in the development and protection of the newborn and baby. There is no more complete food and, as recommended by the World Health Organization, it should be the only food for at least the first six months of the baby’s life.
But it is also true that, as long as the mother can or wants, and that the woman who feeds her child with adapted milk should not be criticized, because everyone chooses what they think is best for their child. So out of respect, doctors from neonatal units around the world have given us even more reasons to bet on breast milk.
Photos | iStock
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