This has also been used as a folk remedy for snow blindness, and was shown in a feature-length film set at the time of the Plague in Norway some years back.  They had a lactating woman hand express milk into the eyes of a snowblind person.
In the present day, our pediatricians even recommend it as first choice of treatment for gunk resulting from plugged tear ducts.  I can testify that it very often works.  We do not do routine eye prophylaxis either.  Sadly, like much of folk medicine, and this is as folksy as medicine gets, there is no research to document breast milk's effectiveness as far as I know.
Rachel Myr [log in to unmask]
Kristiansand, Norway

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