The following patent is assigned to N.V. Nutricia (infant formula and baby
food company in Europe).  I thought it might be of interest.  Infant formula
impairs the growth of the thymus--seems to be a rather significant statement,
particularly since the patent is owned by the industry itself.......
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html
patent # 6656903
title:  "Baby food stimulating growth of the thymus
inventor:  Sawatzki, et al.
assignee:  N.V. Nutricia
filed: 2001

"The invention relates to a thymus growth stimulating baby food, a protein
component for preparing such a baby food, and the use of this protein component
for stimulating the thymus growth of babies.

At the time of birth, the human immunosystem is still relatively immature.
The thymus thereby plays a very important role for the maturation particularly
of the T-lymphocytes. Immature T-lymphocytes from the bone marrow are
differentiated in the thymus from immunocompetent T-lymphocytes. In particular, the
thymus is active during the first months of life, later on, the organ recedes.

Regulation of the thymus function ensues by means of a very complex and a
highly species-specific hormonal regulation. Many questions in this respect are
still unanswered.

It could be shown in more recent researches that the thymus size of the human
baby also depends on food. Children who are nourished with mother milk
exhibit a significantly larger thymus than children who are fed with formula food.
Moreover, it is known that babies nourished with mother milk respond to
vaccinations during the first year of life with a higher antibody production than it
is the case with children fed with formula food. Up to now, the cause for
these differences cannot yet be derived from the tests conducted on humans.

The object of the present invention is to show ways by means of which the
thymus growth can be stimulated so that it corresponds approximately to that of a
nourishment with mother milk. "














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