A new study has revealed the importance why nursing mothers should never skip giving their babies breast milk.
A baby
The unique composition of sugars in a mother’s breast milk may
prevent food allergies in her infant, according to a study published in
the latest issue of Allergy.
The study highlighted the health role of Human Milk
Oligosaccharides (HMOs), which are not found in infant formula,
suggesting a potential for therapeutic interventions.
HMOs are structurally complicated sugar molecules unique to human
breast milk, and the third most abundant solid component in human milk
after lactose, a different type of sugar, and fat.
They are not actually digestible by infants, but could help guide
development of the infant gut microbiota, which previous research
suggests is a key influencer of allergic disease.
Previous studies have shown that breastfed infants have a lower
risk for a variety of medical conditions, such as wheezing, infections,
asthma and obesity.
Researchers at the University of California (UC), San Diego School
of Medicine and their colleagues in Canada analyzed breastmilk samples
taken three-to-four months after birth from 421 infants and mothers.
Then, at one year of age, infants were given skin prick tests to
check for allergic sensitization to common allergens, including certain
foods.
The team found that 59 of 421 infants (14 per cent) displayed sensitisation to one or more food allergens at age one.
“Our research has identified a ‘beneficial’ HMO profile that
was associated with a lower rate of food sensitisation in children at
one year,” said Lars Bode, associate professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine, who led the study.
No individual HMO was associated with food sensitization, but the
overall HMO composition appeared to play a role, according to the study.
Composition of HMOs in breast milk is variable and determined by
factors like lactation stage, gestational age, maternal health,
ethnicity, geographic location and breastfeeding exclusivity.
“A positive test is not necessarily proof of an allergy, but does indicate a heightened sensitivity,” said Meghan Azad, a Canada Research Chair in Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease.
“Sensitisations during infancy don’t always persist into later
childhood, but they are important clinical indicators and strong
predictors of future allergic disease,” said Azad.
-Xinhua/NAN
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
No comments:
Post a Comment