[ad_1]
Our bodies develop a thin protective layer made up entirely of microbes from the moment we are born, and breastfeeding offers major immune benefits.
So knowing which bacteria and which viruses to keep and which to reject is a complex process that can mean the difference between a healthy immune system, lifelong allergies, and autoimmune diseases.
It’s not entirely clear how we deal with this system, and as far as scientists can work, the mechanisms that protect our bodies taken from our mothers’ bodies continue to play their part in dealing with microbes. in the first few weeks outside the uterus.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK has provided new insight into the process, finding that breast milk promotes the growth of important immune cells that help manage inflammation.
Neonatologist, Guergili Tolde, University of Birmingham, says: “The effect of the type of milk they consume on the development of the immune response has not been studied in the first weeks of life. Prior to our research , the exceptional importance and early intervention of this specific cell type in breastfed babies is unknown. “
The study examined the immune functions of 38 full-term infants, all born by cesarean section. Infants were distinguished according to whether they were breastfed: breastfed, formula fed, or a combination of both, blood and stool samples were taken at birth and again after three weeks.
Read more
The difference between the regulatory T cells of the two groups – a type of white blood cell that helps maintain coverage on immune responses – was profound, with those who were exclusively breastfed seeing a doubling of the number of cells by three weeks, per compared to infants who were fed exclusively on milk. Artificial.
The same T cells also showed greater expression of a surface marker associated with increased suppressive activity. Its activity also appears to be directed specifically to act against the mother’s body.
Breast milk provides infants with a variety of antimicrobials and nutrients in appropriate doses that give the developing immune system everything it needs to fight infection.
But the breastfeeding process itself is far from sterile, as it not only transmits micro-bacteria from the mother’s skin, but also many cells.
And during those risky weeks, a barrage of foreign substances can easily overwhelm a child’s immune system. One thing that keeps babies healthy may be to stimulate regulatory T cells to protect them from parasitic mother cells.
It is not entirely clear what caused this effect of milk. A recent study in mice indicates that the feedback loop works, with biochemical collaboration between mother and child to refine the process.
However, the exact mechanisms will need to be dismantled in future research.
An observation made by the researchers in this latest study could provide proof. It was also observed that specific gut bacteria known to support the regulatory function of T cells were more abundant in the digestive tract of breastfed newborns, indicating that their increased growth could be responsible.
The decision to focus only on infants born by Caesarean section was deliberate, in order to keep the immune variants low.
But how babies born vaginally are compared is another avenue for further study, especially given the differences in bacterial acquisition between birth methods.
Artificial feeding is often a hesitant but practical decision, either to reduce stress or, in many cases, simply because there are a few other options. Replicating the inherent benefits of breastfeeding, if at all possible, is largely based on studies like this, which largely explain where these benefits might come from.
But there is no doubt that in a direct comparison of infant feeding methods, direct breast milk continues to deliver all the benefits to newborns, with the least cost to the environment.
“We hope that this valuable new information will lead to increased breastfeeding rates and that we will see more babies enjoying the benefits of receiving breast milk. Additionally, we hope for those formula-fed babies that these results will contribute to improve infant formula, ”says Tolde Artificiel in order to harness these immune mechanisms.
This research was published in a journal Allergy.
Source: ScienceAlert
[ad_2]
Source link
