Hi Barbara

There is a phenomenon of foetal cells migrating into the mother's body 
during pregnancy, and persisting there for many years, even decades (perhaps 
forever?).   Google "microchimerism" for some interesting articles. I read a 
NYTimes article on it in the last couple of years, but can't track it down 
right now.

This has happened even when the foetus was aborted, so breastfeeding does 
not seem to be the logical path. In any case, Y chromosomes aren't 
antibodies, so would not be produced by the mother's body in a sort of 
immune response.

I'm finding it hard to picture a baby's DNA passing back into the mother 
through breastfeeding, though I can picture that infective cells do.  Is 
that illogical of me?

Jacquie Nutt


>I am looking for a specific reference from a past ILCA conference poster
> presentation regarding the presence of a Y chromosome found in mother's
> milk who
> was breastfeeding a male infant.  This was presented as evidence of how
> antibodies are made specifically in response to infant saliva (bacteria in
> same)
> and the reason to encourage infant mouth to breast contact even when baby
> is
> being fed exclusively expressed milk.
>

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