Incidence of Haemophilus influenzae in the throats of healthy infants with different feeding methods.
BACKGROUND
Haemophilus influenzae is the major cause of otitis media and lower respiratory tract infection in childhood. In the presence of human milk, which contains numerous host defense factors, Haemophilus influenzae may be inhibited in attaching to and colonizing pharyngeal cells. We investigated the incidence of H. influenzae in the throats of 162 healthy infants with different feeding methods: 70 breast-fed, 49 mixed-fed and 43 formula-fed infants.


RESULTS
Haemophilus influenzae was identified using standard microbiological procedures and the API NH system. The incidence of H. influenzae in breast-fed infants, mixed-fed infants and formula-fed infants was 0, 0 and 7.0% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the colonization of H. influenzae in the throat was inhibited by the presence of breast milk.
Hokama
T
T
Department of Maternal and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan.
Sakamoto
R
R
Yara
A
A
Asato
Y
Y
Takamine
F
F
Itokazu
K
K
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001722:Birth Order; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*