Protective effect of breast feeding against infection

Effect of organic acids on inhibition of Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonization in gnotobiotic mice associated with infant intestinal microbiota

“…It was reported that breast-fed infants are less likely to suffer from infectious diarrhea than bottlefed infants (Claud and Walker 2001;Dai and Walker 1999;Howie et al 1990). This may be due to differences in colonic microbiota and their metabolic activity.…”

“…There have been many reports showing that the gastrointestinal microbiota have antagonistic activity against enteric infections (Carman et al 2004;Donskey et al 2001;Que et al 1986;Silva et al 2001). It has been known for several decades that breast-fed infants are less likely to suffer from infectious diarrhea than bottle-fed infants (Claud and Walker 2001;Dai and Walker 1999;Howie et al 1990). It has also been reported that pH and organic acid profiles are different between them (Edwards et al 1994;Ogawa et al 1992).…”

Protection against systemic fatal pneumococcal infection by maternal intranasal immunization with pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA)

“…The fi ndings of the present study strongly suggest that maternal intranasal immunization would be an attractive procedure to protect against S. pneumoniae infections in early childhood, because transplacental immunoglobulin (Ig) is transferred during pregnancy and after birth the neonate can obtain Ig via breast milk. [39][40][41] In the present study, we further evaluated the protection conferred against fetal pneumococcal infections by maternal intranasal immunization. We inoculated the TIGR4 strain (possessing serotype 4 capsular polysaccharide) intraperitoneally because intravenous application would have been too diffi cult in these small offspring.…”

Host Factors in Amniotic Fluid and Breast Milk that Contribute to Gut Maturation

“…As we have been discussing, human milk is an exogenous source of a multitude of bioactive factors and properties as well as cells that include symbiotic bacteria-all of which act together to render the infant protected against certain gastrointestinal diseases, including acute gastroenteritis as well as autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease [120,122,123,[137][138][139]. As noted by Zhang et al [140] in a recent review on the use of probiotics in preterm infants, intestinal flora can enhance host defense processes by occupying the gut in large numbers and with substantial diversity competing with pathogens through successful competition for essential nutrients or for epithelial attachment sites, production of "noxious" antimicrobial compounds that diminish the survival capability of the competing bacteria, and, lastly, provide a cell signaling mechanism within the gut to afford an appropriate immune response with diminished ability of the pathogens to gain systemic access for bacterial and toxin translocation.…”