Immunities, Reduced Risk of Diabetes

The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child
by Martha Sears, R. N., William Sears, M. D.

(Page 5 of 9)

Reduced Risk of Diabetes

Breastfeeding, plus the delayed introduction of cow's milk, reduces the risk of juvenile-onset diabetes. In addition, researchers have shown a lower insulin release in breastfed infants compared to infants fed formula. This preventive effect is particularly important for those who have a family history of diabetes.

Immunities

Your milk, like your blood, is a living substance. In the Koran, mother's milk is called white blood. A drop of breast milk contains around one million white blood cells. These cells, called macrophages (big eaters), gobble up germs. Breast milk is also power-packed with immunoglobulin A (IgA), which coats the lining of baby's immature intestines, helping prevent germs from leaking through. Colostrum, the “supermilk” you produce in the first few days, is especially rich in IgA, just at the time when a newborn is most susceptible to germs. Colostrum also contains higher amounts of white blood cells and other infection-fighting substances than does mature milk. Think of colostrom as your baby's first important immunization.

Filling the gap. Throughout the first six months, your baby's ability to produce his own antibodies to germs is somewhat limited. His immune system doesn't click into high gear until the second half of the first year. The maternal antibodies a baby receives through the placenta provide protection for a while, but antibodies gotten through the placenta are gradually used up during the first six months. Around six months of age, the influence of mother's antibodies is waning and baby's own antibodies are not yet at high levels. During this time, human milk's germ-fighting antibodies and white blood cells provide what's missing and protect baby from many of the germs in his environment.

The immune-boosting effects of breast milk are the reason behind the medical truism that doctors make their living on formula-fed infants. Studies comparing exclusively breastfed infants with formula-fed babies have shown that breastfed babies have lower rates of virtually every kind of infectious disease. This is all because of the protective effect of mother's milk, which can't be duplicated by factory-made formula.

Mother continually updates baby's immune protection. Because mother and baby are so close to each other, mother is exposed to the same environmental germs that a baby comes in contact with. The baby's immune system is too immature to respond quickly to germs, so mother's milk comes to the rescue. The mother's more mature immune system makes antibodies to the germs to which she and baby have been exposed, and this army of infection fighters enters her milk and eventually her baby.

Healthier Skin

Many pediatricians who have developed a sharp eye and keen sense of touch over years of examining babies report that they can often tell by the look and feel of an infant's skin whether or not the baby is breastfed or formula fed. The skin of a breastfed baby often has a softer, smoother feel. There is also less delineation between where the fat under the skin ends and the underlying muscle begins. The skin of formula-fed babies tends to be rougher, with dry, often sandpaper-like patches. Breastfed babies feel more solid. Researchers report that the subcutaneous fat in breastfed and formula-fed infants actually has a different composition.

Since skin is primarily made of fat, these “fat feel” differences may be the result of the healthier fats in human milk, especially DHA. The higher concentrations of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in breast milk may give the skin a healthier structure. In our pediatrics practice, we often prescribe for older children a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids (such as flaxseed oil, salmon, and tuna) for treatment of eczema and dry, scaly skin conditions. Human milk provides this naturally for babies. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) in human milk may also make the skin healthier.

Breastfed babies also enjoy a lower incidence of eczema, since they are protected from allergies by breast milk's various immune factors. Because these babies avoid early exposure to foreign proteins, such as cow's-milk protein and soy, their skin is less likely to erupt in irritating and ugly rashes.

Better Taste

Try the taste test. Sample a bit of breast milk (that is, if it's currently available in your home) and compare it with formula (if that's available in your home). Your tongue and nose will instantly tell you why babies prefer the real thing. Breast milk, because of its high lactose content, tastes fresh and sweet, unlike canned formula. Babies are born with a sweet tooth - the taste receptors for sweetness on their tongues are highly developed, so there's a perfect match between the milk and infant gourmets. The more appealing, sweeter taste of breast milk may be why some breastfed infants refuse to take formula.

© 2000 by Martha Sears, R.N., and William Sears, M.D.

About the Author

Martha Sears is a registered nurse, childbirth educator, and breastfeeding consultant.

William Sears, M.D., received his pediatric training at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. He has practiced as a pediatrician for more than thirty years.