The unknown power of human breast milk!
December 21, 2017
Our next blog is by Marina Pjevach, a current Master of Human Nutrition student at Deakin University.
Maria prepared a blog on dietary recommendations to reduce risk of allergy in infants and children in her unit on “Nutritional Issues from Infancy to Adolescence”. As the top student, she has been invited to share her blog on the Deakin Nutrition blogsite.
The unknown power of human breast milk!
Did you know that exclusive breastfeeding greatly reduces the risk of developing childhood food allergies?
Food allergy rates
No, you’re not imagining it. Childhood food allergies have dramatically increased both in Australia and worldwide. In Australia alone, 11% of infants and 3.8% of children (under 5) are currently suffering from them. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg!
A range of childhood food allergies are also plaguing Melbourne. Among these, peanut and egg allergies seem to be the most formidable. Already they are affecting 1-2% of all 4 year olds!
No wonder it feels like every other child can’t enjoy a peanut butter sandwich!
What can parents do?
The excitement of becoming a parent is often curtailed by the fear of children inheriting food allergies. These dreaded reactions, which cause the immune system to work overtime, seem unstoppable. Or are they? Research is showing that they may be prevented by at least 4 months of exclusive breastfeeding.
Worried parents may finally have the answer to their woes! Just take a look at what human breast milk can do:
Greater protection from food allergies
Children exclusively breastfed for 4 months or more are less likely to develop common food allergies. These include allergies to cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, wheat and fish. This protection has been found to last up until 8 years of age.
Greater protection from allergic symptoms
Children exclusively breastfed for 4 months or more are also less likely to experience allergy related symptoms. These include asthma, eczema (skin rash) and allergic rhinitis (runny/blocked nose). This protection has been found to last up until 7 years of age.
Greater protection from severe reactions
At the very least, 4 or more months of exclusive breastfeeding can reduce the severity of allergic symptoms. This protection has been found to last up until 2 years of age. Maybe your child won’t need that EpiPen after all!
In Australia, for the general health benefits from breastmilk, we recommend that babies are exclusively breastfed until around 6 months of age.
Who would have guessed that something as simple as breastfeeding could combat the development of both mild and severe food allergies? I, for one, would not have thought it possible! Makes you wonder what else human breast milk can do!
By Marina Pjevach, current Master of Human Nutrition student at Deakin University.
About Maria: Prior to Deakin, Marina completed the Bachelor of Human Nutrition at Latrobe University. As part of her degree, she investigated the effects of different herbs and spices on the lifespan of the C. elegans worm species.
More recently, she has enjoyed reviewing the literature on the effects of breastfeeding on childhood food allergies as well as barriers and facilitators associated with breastfeeding in today’s society, as part of her postgraduate degree at Deakin.
She has found the Masters course at Deakin very interesting and insightful and is enjoying learning about different aspects of human nutrition, ranging from individual nutritional requirements and concerns to community interventions and political parameters.
In the future, she hopes to do more research work and play an active role in improving people’s health and wellbeing. She have always been passionate about helping people.