Dear Friends:

Infant mouthing behavior: the  immunocalibration hypothesis.

Fessler DM, Abrams  ET.Med Hypotheses. 2004;63(6):925-32.

Department of  Anthropology, 341 Haines Hall, University of California, Los
Angeles, CA  90095-1553, USA.

Avid mouthing, the propensity of infants to suck objects  and put them in
their mouths, is a pattern characteristic of the first 2-3 years  of life, with
its most intensive manifestation occurring during the first year.  Although
traditional accounts explain infant mouthing as a source of sensual
gratification and/or environmental exploration, these proximate hypotheses are
inconsistent with the high costs of mouthing, including choking, poisoning, and
exposure to pathogens. We propose that mouthing serves to proactively expose the
naive gastrointestinal tract to environmental antigens and commensal bacteria
while under the sheltering umbrella of breastfeeding. Mouthing functions to
accurately calibrate the developing immune system, including antibody production
and mucosal immunity, to the local disease ecology. The critical exposure
period  is not open-ended, as failure to expose the gut to an adequate number of
antigens early in life is associated with an increased risk of allergies,
asthma, and atopy. Weaning initiates a number of immune changes that may program
 the neonatal immune system into certain life-long responses.



Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE
Maternal-Child Adjunct  Faculty Union Institute and University
Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human  Lactation
Support the WHO Code and the Mother-Friendly Childbirth  Initiative

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