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Subject:
From:
Fiona Dionne <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 5 Oct 2001 03:16:50 -0400
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I was discussing with another ressource person for Allaitement Québec
(bf support group here in Québec), and we were wondering about antibody
levels in milk.  We had been told by our local IBCLC that the mature
milk antibody levels are lower than colostrum levels per unit measure,
but that as a child ages and weans gradually, the child gets the same
number of antibodies at, say, 2 years (while perhaps only nursing 3
times a day or whatever) that s/he got as a 2 week old baby.  I've heard
this before, so don't really doubt it, but we were wondering what is the
deciding factor in the amount of antibodies that gets put into the
mature milk?  We had first understood that it was to do with weaning,
i.e. the number of times a baby nurses in 24 hours, but as we were
discussing we saw some flaws in this idea.  Namely that if it were true,
a mom of a 2 month old baby could cut her baby down to 1 or 2 nursing
times per day, and bottle feed formula the rest of the time, believing
that her milk would be more concentrated in antibodies because she was
nursing fewer times per day.  I suspect personally that it is much more
complicated than that, but may take in account at least 3 factors that I
can think of off the top of my head:  1) length of time since delivery
of the baby 2) stage in weaning (i.e. how many times does he nurse per
day) and 3) exposure to microbes in the mom, i.e. a toddler is mouthing
more things, is perhaps being cared for by other people more, and in a
daycare sometimes, is bringing home more germs, and therefore inciting
her body to produce more antibodies...and in this way, the mom who is
nursing non-twins (tandeming) would produce more antibodies in response
to the toddler's active participation of germs than she would have been
when he (toddler) was a newborn and was not bringing home so many germs!

Is there doccumentation out there to do with this subject?  Does anyone
know for sure how the antibody levels go up and down, or do we just know
certain parts to the equation right now?  Do any of these aforementioned
things have to do with antibody production by the mother, or is it a
totally different system than what I've just proposed?

Thanks in advance!

Fio
personne ressource for Allaitement Québec
Mommy to Sandrine Leïlou, 13/03/00, bf.

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