Serum and saliva Ig-levels in infants of non-atopic mothers fed breast milk or cow's milk-based formulas.
Of twenty-five healthy, full term infants without a family history of atopic diseases, 13 were exclusively breast-fed from birth for a minimum of 31/2 months (median 41/2 months), whereas the remaining 12 infants were fed with cow's milk-based formulas from birth for a minimum of 4 months. In the latter group of children a significant increase in serum IgE as well as in salivary IgA was found. In infants exclusively breast-fed, no increase in serum IgE was seen until 6 months of age; at nine months of age, salivary IgA was still significantly lower than in the infants fed cow's milk-based formulas. No children developed obvious allergic diseases during the first three years of life. Thus, cow's milk proteins given to newborn children of non-atopic mothers did not seem to increase the risk of IgE-mediated diseases, maybe due to the development of "blocking" IgA-antibodies in the alimentary tract.
D000818:Animals; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000209:etiology*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008892:Milk; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E