This document discusses the influence of breastfeeding on infant allergy development. It finds that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and any breastfeeding for 1 year is most beneficial for decreasing food allergy risk. Components in breast milk like food antigens, antimicrobial peptides, and cytokines provide immunoprotective effects that help infants digest potentially allergenic foods. The duration of breastfeeding is correlated with decreased infant allergy development.

1. In#luence
of
Breastfeeding
on
Infant
Allergy
Development
Anya
Guy,
Anna
King,
and
Marissa
Uhlhorn
Food
Science
and
Human
Nutri%on
Fall
2015
Abstract
Breas^eeding
influences
allergy
development
among
infants.
Specifically,
dura%on
of
exclusive
breas^eeding,
maternal
nutri%on,
and
environmental
factors
can
impact
the
capacity
for
the
breastmilk
to
affect
the
infant’s
immune
system.
Various
studies
suggest
that
exclusive
breas^eeding
for
6
months
and
any
breas^eeding
for
1
year
is
the
most
beneficial
for
decreasing
food
allergy
risk.
The
purpose
of
this
poster
is
to
educate
nutri%on
professionals
and
pregnant
or
breas^eeding
mothers
on
the
current
research
about
infant
allergy
development
in
regards
to
breas^eeding.
Beneficial
components
in
the
mother’s
breast
milk
include
food
an%gens,
an%microbial
pep%des,
and
cytokines.
These
provide
the
immunoprotec%ve
effect
the
infant
needs
to
digest
poten%ally
allergenic
nutrients.
Protec%ve
effects
increase
with
the
dura%on
of
breas^eeding.
Background
• Research
suggests
a
correla%on
between
dura%on
of
exclusive
breas^eeding
and
infant
allergy
development.1
The
mother’s
diet,
family
history,
and
environmental
factors
can
also
impact
breast
milk’s
influence
on
immune
response
to
allergens.
2
• The
American
Academy
of
Pediatrics
has
a
firm
stance
on
breas^eeding
infants.
They
state
that
infants
should
be
exclusively
breas^ed
for
6
months.
As
complementary
foods
are
introduced
from
six
months
to
one
year
of
age,
the
infant
should
be
con%nually
breas^ed
as
tolerated
by
the
mother
and
infant.
3
Objectives
• To
reach
Nutri%on
Professionals
and
impact
their
future
interac%ons
with
pregnant
or
breas^eeding
mothers
they
counsel.
• To
urge
pregnant
or
breas^eeding
mothers
to
exclusively
breas^eed
for
at
least
six
months
in
hopes
of
decreasing
their
infants’
allergy
development.
Physiological
Aspects
• Infant
allergy
development
is
influenced
by
family
history
of
allergies,
dura%on
of
breas^eeding,
when
the
mother
introduces
solid
foods,
the
mother’s
diet,
and
the
gastrointes%nal
maturity
of
the
infant.5
• Adult
immune
systems
begin
to
fight
an%gens
as
they
are
introduced,
but
infants
need
the
maternal
milk
growth
factor,
(TGF)-­‐B,
to
ini%ate
an
immune
tolerance
to
an
allergen.2,
6
Related
Nutrition
There
is
an
immunoprotec%ve
component
of
breas^eeding
that
is
proven
to
strengthen
the
infant’s
gastrointes%nal
tract
matura%on.
There
is
no
conclusive
evidence
that
elimina%ng
highly
allergenic
foods
in
the
mother’s
diet
decreases
infant
allergy
development.5
Unless
there
is
a
large
family
history
of
food
allergies
or
if
the
infant
shows
atopic
symptoms,
the
mother
should
include
allergen-­‐containing
foods
in
her
diet.8
Depending
on
the
mother’s
diet,
the
amount
of
an%gens
in
the
breast
milk
from
common
allergenic
foods
(peanut,
wheat,
and
egg)
can
be
transferred
to
the
infant
in
nanogram
per
milliliter
(n/mL)
amounts.9
The
components
of
the
mother’s
breast
milk
that
are
shown
to
have
posi%ve
effects
on
the
infant
are
IgA,
an%microbial
pep%des,
cytokines,
growth
factors,
and
essen%al
nutrients.
These
are
found
in
colostrum
and
breastmilk
and
provide
the
immunoprotec%ve
effect
the
infant
needs
to
digest
poten%ally
allergenic
foods.9
Applications/Conclusions
References/Acknowledgements
1. Grimshaw
K,
Maskell
J,
Oliver
E,
et
al.
Introduction
of
Complementary
Foods
and
the
Relationship
to
Food
Allergy.
Pediatrics.
2013;
132(6):
e1529-­‐e1538.
2. American
Academy
of
Pediatrics.
Breastfeeding
and
the
Use
of
Human
Milk.
Pediatrics.
2012;
129(1):
e847-­‐e841.
3. Borres
M,
Brandtzaeg
P,
Edberg
U,
Hanson
L,
Host
A,
Kull
I,
Odijk
J,
Olsen
S,
Skerfving
S,
Sundell
J,
Wille
S.
Breastfeeding
and
allergic
disease:
a
multidisciplinary
review
of
the
literature
(1966-­‐2001)
on
the
mode
of
early
feeding
in
infancy
and
its
impact
on
later
atopic
manifestations.
Allergy.
April
2003;
58(1):
833-­‐843.
4. Maternal,
Infant,
and
Child
Health.
Healthy
People
2020
Website.
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-­‐objectives/topic/
maternal-­‐infant-­‐and-­‐child-­‐health/objectives.
Published
2014.
Updated
November
3,
2015.
Accessed
Novmber
3,
2015.
5. Kewgyir-­‐Afful
E,
Luccioli
S,
Ramos-­‐Valle
M,
Verril
L,
Zhang
Y.
Infant
Feeding
Practices
and
Reported
Food
Allergies
at
6
Years
of
Age.
Pediatrics.
2014;
134(1):
s21-­‐s28.
6. Matheson
M,
et
al.
Breastfeeding
and
atopic
disease:
a
cohort
study
from
childhood
to
middle
age.
J
Allergy
Clin
Immunol.
November
2007;
120(1):
1051-­‐1057.
7. Verhasselt,
V.
Is
Infant
Immunization
by
Breastfeeding
Possible?.
Phil.
Trans.
R.
Soc
B.
2015;
370(1):
1-­‐6.
8. Odijk
J,
et
al.
Breastfeeding
and
allergic
disease:
a
multidisciplinary
review
of
the
literature
(1966–2001)
on
the
mode
of
early
feeding
in
infancy
and
its
impact
on
later
atopic
manifestations.
Allergy.
2003;
58(1):
833-­‐843.
9. Boyle
R,
Munblit
D,
Warner
J.
Factors
affecting
breast
milk
composition
and
potential
consequences
for
development
of
the
allergic
phenotype.
Clinical
&
Experimental
Allergy.
2014;
45(1):583-­‐601.
10. Wyness
L.
Nutrition
in
early
life
and
the
risk
of
asthma
and
allergic
disease.
Nutrition.
2014;
Br
J
Community
Nurs.
2014;
19(7):
S28-­‐S32.
11. Greer
F
R,
Sicherer
S
H,
Burks
A
W,
and
the
Committee
on
Nutrition
and
Section
on
Allergy
and
Immunology.
Effects
on
Early
Nutritional
Interventions
on
the
Development
of
Atopic
Disease
in
Infants
and
Children:
The
Role
of
Maternal
Dietary
Restriction,
Breastfeeding,
Timing
of
Introduction
of
Complementary
Foods,
and
Hydrolyzed
Formulas.
Pediatrics.
2008;
121(1):
183-­‐191.
12. Boulay
A,
Gancheva
V,
Houghton
J,
et
al.
Peanut
exposure
during
pregnancy,
breastfeeding
and
complementary
feeding:
perceptions
of
practices
in
four
countries.
Int
J
Consum
Stud.
2015;
39(1):
51-­‐59.
Dura%on
of
Breas-eeding
Healthy
People
2011
Rate
Healthy
People
2020
Goal
Ever
breas^ed
79.2%
81.9%
Breas^ed
at
6
months
49.4%
60.6%
Breas^ed
at
1
year
26.7%
34.1%
Exclusively
breas^ed
through
3
months
40.7%
46.2%
Exclusively
breas^ed
through
6
months
18.8%
25.5%
Table
1:
Maternal,
Infant,
and
Child
Health.
Healthy
People
2020
Website.
hEp://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-­‐objec%ves/topic/maternal-­‐infant-­‐and-­‐child-­‐health/objec%ves.
Published
2014.
Updated
November
3,
2015.
Accessed
November
3,
2015.
This
chart
explains
the
most
current
data
available
compared
to
the
Healthy
People
2020
Goals.
If
these
goals
were
met,
less
infants
would
develop
food
allergies.4
Figure
1:
Factors
affec%ng
infant’s
immune
strength7
This
picture
displays
the
environmental
and
maternal
factors
that
could
affect
the
infant’s
response
to
an%gens.7
• It
is
not
necessary
for
breas^eeding
mothers
to
delay
or
avoid
poten%al
food
allergens
in
their
own
diets
to
prevent
their
infants
from
developing
food
allergies.10,
11
• Protec%ve
effects
increase
with
the
dura%on
of
breas^eeding
up
to
at
least
six
months
and
persist
up
to
the
first
decade
of
life.3
• Breas^eeding
mothers
should
consume
a
varied
diet
to
expose
the
infant
to
a
wide
range
of
food
profiles
through
breastmilk.12
• Components
found
in
colostrum
have
immunoprotec%ve
proper%es
and
can
aid
in
the
infant’s
diges%on
of
allergenic
foods.9
• Several
studies
support
the
Academy
of
Pediatrics
stance
on
exclusively
breas^eeding
for
six
months
without
solid
food
introduc%on
un%l
amer
six
months.
• In
children
with
a
family
history
of
allergies,
it
is
even
more
crucial
to
provide
the
protec%ve
benefits
of
breas^eeding
to
the
infant.10
Figure
2:
Transfer
of
food
an%gens
from
mother
to
infant.
Any
nutrient
the
mother
consumes
will
be
digested
and
directly
transferred
to
the
infant
through
breastmilk.
This
is
carried
along
with
a
variety
of
other
immunologic
components.
When
the
an%gen
is
absorbed
in
the
infant’s
gut,
it
ini%ates
immunity
to
the
food
in
the
gastrointes%nal
tract.9