الفهرس 
IMMUNE PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF BREAST MILKOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The protective effect of breast milk against infection was documented as early as 1892 in medical literature, by data proving that milk from various species, including humans, was protective to offspring.
The newborn infant’s immune system is immature and inadequate at birth. There are rapid adaptations to the immune system in the early post-natal period related to the natural maturation of the skin and mucosal barriers, as well as to the exposure of the infant to various infectious agents.
The infant’s immune system continues to develop over at least the first two years of life. Overall, the infant has a limited ability to respond effectively and quickly to infectious challenges, and this explains the infant’s ongoing susceptibility to infection.
The systemic cell-mediated immune response, neutrophil activity as well as responsiveness of the mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) of the infant are developmentally delayed during the first few months of life.
There are also numerous immune components which are produced in limited amounts in infancy like complement, interferons, sIgA, interleukins, lactoferrin and lysozymes.
Various bioactive and immunomodulating components in breast milk that are capable of complementing and enhancing the development of the infant’s mucosal and systemic immune system.
The protective properties of human milk can be divided into cellular factors (macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes) and humoral factors. Wide varieties of soluble components as well as hormones have been identified in human milk and colostrum
Human milk has activated, mature, functioning T cells, with unique manner of activation against the relevant threats of neonates. Macrophages with full power as blood macrophages and can act in situ. All classes of immunoglobulines are found in human milk. Secretory IgA identified in human milk, recognize and inactivate a wide variety of microorganisms, e.g. viruses, bacteria as well as Giardia and Candida albicans.
Milk has various bioactive components like: bifidus factor, lysozymes, lactoferrin, interferons, complement, vitamin-B12 binding protein, glycoconjugates, oligosaccharides and others. These constituents in human milk are multifunctional and their functioning in vivo is interactive, coordinated and complementary.
In addition, those elements can perform new functions when they work in synergy in conditions typical to that of the stomach of the breast-fed infant, like conversion of human milk α-lactalbumin into HAMLET which is reported to induce apoptosis in tumours, but not in normal differentiated cells.
Human milk has different immunomodulating factors which are involved in immunocompetence like cytokines, interleukins, soluble receptors and soluble cell adhesion molecules, as well as factors which modulate functions of the gastro-intestinal tract and favors the growth of beneficial commensals and hinder the pathogenic ones.
These properties of human milk do appear to control infection. Specific disease entities have shown a clear differential in the incidence between infants fed cow milk or formula milk and those fed human milk. This infection control is just the optimum without extra damage, as human milk has anti-inflammatory properties and factors to inhibit accidental complement activation.
Moreover, human milk protein is species specific and therefore nonallergic for the human infant. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life with the late introduction of solids is protective against the development of allergic diseases like asthma, eczema and atopy.
Breastfeeding for four months or longer can provide immunologic protection against some childhood-onset diseases, like certain autoimmune diseases, insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus, some malignancies, rheumatoid arthritis and lymphomas. Also, human milk affects components of the metabolic syndromes.
Moreover, breast-feeding benefits the mother and adults, who were breast-fed for long duration in infancy, show higher intelligence and cognitive functions.