> I read (before I kept record of such resources) that a baby's saliva sends
> a message through the nipple (which is a two-way conduit) that baby has
> been infected with a pathogen, and mother then makes antibodies to the
> pathogen.
>
> The study was done in Great Britain and was launched when it was discovered
> that during an epidemic, mothers had antibodies to the infection when they
> didn't have the infection themselves. And that these breastfed babies
> recovered quickly.

I'm not sure in which one,but I think Paula Meiers mentions it in one of her
papers (or perhaps it was in a symposium talk) in correlation to kangoorocare
and early at-breast feedings for premies . She states that the baby colonises
the breast/nipple with the pathogens s/he has picked up and in reaction mom
produces antibodies in the milk. So, it is indeed an active baby-initiated
action, regardless of wether the moms catches it or not. This is especially
important for hospitalised children and children in daycare.

Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC, living in Maaseik, Belgium
http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac
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