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Connection Between Breast-Feeding and
Allergies
Could a woman's diet while breast-feeding affect the
likelihood that her child will develop allergies? A new study out of Finland says yes. The
research is reported in the August issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology.
The study looked at an infant's exposure to cow's milk
proteins because these proteins are known to play a role in a child's risk for type 1
diabetes. Researchers studied 123 infants who were either breast-fed or received formula
until six months of age. The mothers who breast-fed either avoided cow's milk during the
first three months or had an unrestricted diet. Researchers tested the levels of
antibodies to bovine and human insulin at 3, 6, 12 and 18 months and at 4 years old.
The researchers found the exposure to cow's milk proteins
through breast milk during the first three months of life resulted in decreased levels of
antibodies to dietary bovine insulin at 18 months of age and therefore a reduction in
allergies. Researchers say the results suggest that breast milk antigens help in early
tolerance of allergies. |
