Breastfeeding ‘protects babies from allergic asthma’

Title: Breastfeeding ‘protects babies from allergic asthma’.

Description:

Breastfeeding could help to stop babies from developing allergic asthma, according to a new study.

Content:

Breastfeeding could help to stop babies from developing allergic asthma, according to a new study.
French researchers found that the airborne allergen ovalbumin is able to pass from mother to child through breast milk, creating a tolerance to the allergen.  Their findings are based on studies of lactating mice exposed to the airborne allergen ovalbumin. The allergen was shown to transfer from the mother to the baby through the milk. Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, the researchers say their observations may pave the way for new strategies to prevent the development of allergic diseases.  “Our work may provide a rationale for new epidemiological studies assessing
the presence of airborne antigens in human milk and the prevalence of allergic diseases in children breastfed by mothers exposed to airborne allergens,” they said.  “This report gives new insights into the mechanisms underlying tolerance induction in neonates and pinpoint maternal influence through breast milk–mediated antigen transfer as a crucial factor in this process.” Allergic asthma is estimated to affect 300 million people worldwide.

Source:
www.inthenews.co.uk

Disclaimer:

Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent those of The Federation of Antenatal Educators (FEDANT) unless specifically stated.