الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Nutrition is pivotal to every aspect of human health in physical and mental development from conception to death , good nutrition ensures optimum human performance in all area of life. The human body is born immature with its major organs and immune system not fully developed for its survival, the infant depends on an extraordinary well adapted evolutionary strategy shared by all mammals, breast feeding. The first significant factor that influences the pattern of mucosal immune system development is the infant feeding method. With regard to gastrointestinal mucosal defense mechanisms SIgA plays an essential role as well as normal endogenous microflora that is developed by breast feeding. New born babies may produce only small amounts of SIgA. It’s found in the extracellular mucus in the epithelial surfaces of gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary tract as well as in body fluids as saliva and tears. SIgA reaches adult levels gradually along with the immunological development. Breast milk is a complex biological fluid that provides infants with both nutritional and non nutritional factors. It exerts protective effects on infants during neonatal maturation. It is well known that milk contains a variety of proteins, peptides and steroid that posses biological activity also, it is speculated that these bioactive substances play important roles in non nutritional effects of human milk. The small amounts of food antigen in breast milk may elicit a specific IgE response in exclusively breast fed infants. Despite optimal maternal support breast milk may not be available, as an alternative, infant may be fed with other feeding patterns as fresh cow milk and formula milks, mainly modified cows milk. The present study was designed to assess the levels of serum IgE and salivary SIgA in the first six months of life with emphasis on feeding pattern. A number of 45 infants were selected to participate in the study. They were divided into 3 groups; each comprising 15 infants • Group I: included exclusive breast fed infants (BF). • Group II: included exclusive formula fed infants (FF). • Group III: included exclusive cow milk fed infants. Infants involved in the three studied groups were subjected to: • Detailed history laying stress upon nutritional, perinatal and family history. • Full examination laying stress upon anthropometric measurements (weight, length and head circumference). • Laboratory investigations including CBC, serum IgE and salivary SIgA. Our results can be concluded as follow: 1-Infants involved in the three study groups were matched regarding their ages and sex distribution as proposed by the study design and there are no significant differences among groups as regards sex and age. 2-In the present study, the three groups didn’t show significant differences as regards nutritional parameters including weight, length and head circumference. 3-Comparison among the studied groups regarding the laboratory findings. a-CBC: Hb levels were higher in formula fed group than other groups. b- Serum IgE levels: there were significant differences among the studied groups as the levels were higher in cow milk fed group than other groups. c- Salivary SIgA levels: there were significant differences among the studied groups as the levels were higher in breast fed group than other groups. 4-Regarding the correlation between serum IgE, salivary IgA and the other variables among all groups, the present study showed that there were positive correlations between serum IgE, salivary IgA and age, weight, length and head circumference but after regression , it was found that serum IgE and salivary IgA were dependent only on age.