Dear friends,
I am in desperate need for your help and wisdom. I mentor a last year’s midwife student for her thesis about relactation. She’s doing great, but somewhere she mentioned that human milk is 80% macrophages. I asked her to re-do her research on this, because there’s a lot more in human milk than macrophages. Then she came up with her reference:
<ProMom’s 101 reasons to breastfeed; reason #10
Breast milk contains immunities to diseases and aids in the development of baby's immune system.
Formula provides neither of these benefits. "Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses because human milk transfers to the infant a mother's antibodies to disease. About 80% of the cells in breast milk are macrophages, cells that kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Breastfed babies are protected in varying degrees from a number of illnesses including, pneumonia, botulism, bronchitis, staphylococcal infections, influenza, ear infections, and German measles. Furthermore, mothers produce antibodies to what ever disease is present in their environment, making their milk custom-designed to fight diseases their babies are exposed to as well."
Williams RD, "Breast-Feeding Best Bet for Babies",
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Statement: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/895_brstfeed.html
Koutras, A.K., "Fecal Secretory Immunoglobulin A in Breast Milk vs. Formula Feeding in Early Infancy". J. Ped Gastro Nutr 1989.>
How do I read this? Is it a typo? Is there a word missing? Does it mean to say that 80% of protein-cells are macrophages?
Warmly
Gonneke, IBCLC, LLLL, puzzled in southern Netherlands
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