ILCA Conference Reviewed: The Benefits of Nursing
Yaelle Frohlich
Issue date: 8/24/08 Section: Science and Health
Dr. Julie Smith of Australian National University, who spoke about the economics of breastfeeding, estimated the annual tax of breastfeeding-preventable infant diseases on the United States health care system at $4.4 billion.
Breast milk, food and medicine in one, is rich in lactocytes and immunity-boosting leukocytes, containing ten cells per micro-liter after six months. Colostrum, the precursor to breast milk, contains 3430 cells per micro-liter-close to 3 million cells per drop-2140 of which are immune cells.
In 2006, Perth molecular biologist Dr. Mark Cregan and his team at the University of Western Australia identified another cellular component of human milk: putative mammary stem cells. Cregan spoke about his work at the conference, and while he attended his team determined that the putative stem cells are clonogenic-they not only look like stem cells, they act like them. The discovery may have major implications in the field of stem cell biology, as breast milk could serve as a plentiful, ethical and non-invasive source of stem cells. "Let's see a formula company put stem cells in their products," he quipped.
Cregan is confident that stem cells in breast milk provide advantages to babies of which we are yet unaware. "I really believe," he stated, "that these stem cells are part of the…benefits that breast milk provides."
Breastfeeding also encourages bonding between mother and infant, skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth being especially important to the relationship. Dr. Keren Epstein-Gilboa, an Israeli-Canadian developmental psychologist who nursed her own daughter until age four, identifies what she terms a "sensitive family style" in breastfeeding families, in which the mother responds to the unique "cues" of her baby, learning the signs of hunger and emotions and gaining confidence and sensitivity to the child's needs along the way. She added that other family members also learn to interact sensitively with one another by observing the mother-baby relationship.
Breast milk, food and medicine in one, is rich in lactocytes and immunity-boosting leukocytes, containing ten cells per micro-liter after six months. Colostrum, the precursor to breast milk, contains 3430 cells per micro-liter-close to 3 million cells per drop-2140 of which are immune cells.
In 2006, Perth molecular biologist Dr. Mark Cregan and his team at the University of Western Australia identified another cellular component of human milk: putative mammary stem cells. Cregan spoke about his work at the conference, and while he attended his team determined that the putative stem cells are clonogenic-they not only look like stem cells, they act like them. The discovery may have major implications in the field of stem cell biology, as breast milk could serve as a plentiful, ethical and non-invasive source of stem cells. "Let's see a formula company put stem cells in their products," he quipped.
Cregan is confident that stem cells in breast milk provide advantages to babies of which we are yet unaware. "I really believe," he stated, "that these stem cells are part of the…benefits that breast milk provides."
Breastfeeding also encourages bonding between mother and infant, skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth being especially important to the relationship. Dr. Keren Epstein-Gilboa, an Israeli-Canadian developmental psychologist who nursed her own daughter until age four, identifies what she terms a "sensitive family style" in breastfeeding families, in which the mother responds to the unique "cues" of her baby, learning the signs of hunger and emotions and gaining confidence and sensitivity to the child's needs along the way. She added that other family members also learn to interact sensitively with one another by observing the mother-baby relationship.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Isabella
posted 9/03/08 @ 12:30 PM EST
Yaelle,I found your article on ILCA Conference informative and useful. Thank you. I'd like to make a slight correction. You stated in the article that:"Breastfed babies are also less prone to early onset TypeI diabetes". (Continued…)
Naomi Bar-Yam
naomi Bar-Yam
posted 10/05/08 @ 10:16 PM EST
Thank you for an informative article on a topic not often covered. Something to think about: Breastfeeding is the norm, the way babies are meant to be fed. (Continued…)
Isabella
posted 10/06/08 @ 9:21 AM EST
Naomi,
let's get one thing crystal clear-Type1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease/has to do with pancreatic inability to produce insulin and will occur no matter which way the baby is fed - breast or bottle(just fyi). (Continued…)
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