New research shows that breastfeeding for more than three months supports the maturation of the microbiome in the infant’s digestive tract and nasal cavity
Breast milk regulates the baby’s microbiome during the first year of life and this in turn reduces the risk of the child developing asthma. That’s according to a study led by researchers at NYU Langone Health and the University of Manitoba in Canada, published in the journal Cell.
The researchers studied data from 3,500 children in Canada who participated in the long-term CHILD Cohort Study.
The study data allowed the researchers to disentangle the effect of breastfeeding on the infant’s microbiome from a range of other environmental factors, including prenatal smoke exposure, antibiotics and the mother’s history of asthma.
What did the research show?
According to the research results, breastfeeding for more than three months supports the gradual maturation of the microbiome in the infant’s digestive system and nasal cavity. Conversely, stopping breastfeeding earlier disrupts the gradual development of the microbiome and was associated with a higher risk of preschool asthma.
Certain components of breast milk, such as oligosaccharides, can only be broken down with the help of certain microbes. This provides an advantage to microbes that have the ability to digest these sugars. In contrast, infants who stop breastfeeding earlier than three months harbor a different set of microbes, which will help the infant digest formula ingredients. While many of these germs eventually end up in all babies, researchers have found that their early arrival is linked to an increased risk of asthma. In addition, the researchers note that in addition to aiding digestion, an infant’s microbiome plays a critical role in the development of its immune system.
“Breastfeeding and human milk regulate the rate and sequence of microbial colonization of the infant’s gut and nasal cavity, ensuring that this process occurs in a smooth and timely manner. Healthy microbiome growth isn’t just about having the right microbes. They also need to arrive in the right order and at the right time,” explains Liat Senhav, the study’s principal investigator and an assistant professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in the School’s Department of Microbiology.
M. Kouzinopoulou
Source :Skai
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