Breastfeeding Provides Good Bacteria to Boost Baby's Immune System, Says Study
A new study found that bacteria in breast milk and the skin around breasts are vital in making a baby grow strong and healthy.
Researchers led by Dr. Grace Aldrovandi, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital Chief of Infectious Diseases and a professor in pediatrics, found out that 30 percent of good bacteria needed to keep the baby's intestinal tract healthy come from breast milk, wrote UCLA Newsroom.
An additional 10 percent of these bacteria can also be found in the skin surrounding the mother's breast, the study said.
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This kind of bacteria is useful for the baby's growth as it helps the immune system to distinguish which bacteria are good for the baby's body and which are not.
Aldrovandi noted that the discovery can help in "building stronger, healthier babies."
"We're appreciating more and more how these bacterial communities, particularly in the intestine, help guard against the bad guys," the doctor said. "We know from animal model systems that if you get good bacteria in your gut early in life, you're more likely to be healthy."
Some bacteria found in the intestines may reduce the risk of a child developing allergies and asthma, The Daily Mail reported.
Other studies also showed children exposed to good bacteria at an early age have a higher chance of not developing obesity and stronger immune systems.
While the study focused on bacteria found on breast milk, it did not identify how formula-fed babies acquire the same kind of healthy microbiome necessary to strengthen their growth.
Aldrovandi and her colleagues intend to expand their study to determine how the good bacteria work in an adult body as well as which kind of healthy microbiomes are missing in people with a certain kind of disease.
Mothers are advised to solely breastfeed their babies up to six months old. Even after they introduce solid food to their babies, the mothers are encouraged to supplement it with breast milk until the baby reaches one year old.
