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Breastfeeding: maintaining an irreplaceable immunological resource

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 4, pages 565–572 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Breastfeeding — the main source of active and passive immunity in the vulnerable early months and years of life — is considered to be the most effective preventive means of reducing the death rate of children under five. Given this, one must wonder why it has slipped quietly down the priorities of the global health and development agendas. In this era of public–private partnerships, can its role as an irreplaceable immunological resource help keep it at the top of global agendas?

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Acknowledgements

The statements in this publication are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of UNICEF or the University of Texas, United States.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UNICEF/PD/Nutrition, UNICEF House, 3 UN Plaza, East 44th Street, New York, 10017, New York, USA

    Miriam H. Labbok & David Clark

  2. the Division of Immunology/Allergy/Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, 77555, Texas, USA

    Armond S. Goldman

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  1. Miriam H. Labbok
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Correspondence to Miriam H. Labbok.

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DATABASES

Entrez Gene

CCL5

CD4

CD8

CXCL8

erythropoietin

granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

IFN-α

IFN-γ

IL-1β

IL-6

IL-10

IL-12

macrophage colony-stimulating factor

MUC1

TGF-β

TNF

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Labbok, M., Clark, D. & Goldman, A. Breastfeeding: maintaining an irreplaceable immunological resource. Nat Rev Immunol 4, 565–572 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri1393

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