The case for breast feeding

Summary

Disease-preventing effects of breast milk are briefly reviewed. It is demonstrated how substitution of cow's milk with breast milk or soya milk in early infantile eczema often is associated with clinical cure and lowering oflgE and eosinophils. The antimicrobial properties of breast milk are also reviewed. Active mammary secretion of secretory IgA E. coli antibodies and their excretion as copro antibodies are shown. The effects of these antibodies are insufficiently known but it is shown that breastfeeding is associated with a selection of E. coli mutants probably deficient in certain surface characteristics which may render them less virulent.

Key Words::

• Breastfeeding
• milk
• human
• antibodies