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Apart from the nutrients from breastfeeding, I recall that it is part of an immune system feedback loop. If the child is fighting off something, it is transfer
by m463 2y ago
Apart from the nutrients from breastfeeding, I recall that it is part of an immune system feedback loop. If the child is fighting off something, it is transferred to the nipple during breastfeeding. The mother's immune system develops a response and provides help to the child in the breast milk next feeding.
- xvilka 2y agoInteresting. Do you have a source for that?
- api_or_ipa 2y agoBabbage podcast from the Economist had a great episode recently on it. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LCTSD4k9bNDn6i8DzLv9r?si=D-hdkLR1S6ij_wfJjHaAeg https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LCTSD4k9bNDn6i8DzLv9r?si=D...
- Nashooo 2y agoI'm sorry to be direct but I mean this in the best and most genuine way possible: how is a podcast a source?
- tsimionescu 2y agoLaypeople are much more likely to learn something useful and solid from a good podcast on a topic, run by someone (or with a guest) who has read the literature broadly and can distinguish solid papers from publish-or-perish drivel. Doing your own research, unless you dedicate an inordinate amount of time or energy to it, is very likely to lead you completely astray.
- hombre_fatal 2y agoWell, they provided something and it’s from a reputable publication. You can wait around for more people to chime in or you can dig in yourself until then. We are in casual conversation here.
- schu 2y agoThe main factor at play here is maternal passive immunity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_immunity#Maternal_passive_immunity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_immunity#Maternal_pass... As far as I know, there's no (direct, retrograde) transfer of pathogens from the child to the mother through the breast. But if the child has an infection, there is often a higher chance for the mother to get ill as well (due to close body contact, aerosol particles, etc.) and to develop a "mature immune response", which could lead to a (delayed) positive secondary effect on the child through passive immunity.
- mensetmanusman 2y agoYes, interestingly some of the signal comes from kissing the baby.