Abstract

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF BREAST FEEDING AGAINST INFECTION

Asma Alshehri*, Asmahan Alshehri and Maher Shalabi

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Abstract

Human Breast milk is the food naturally designed to best meet the needs of human infants. It has the necessary amounts of nutrients which are easy to digest for infants. Furthermore, human milk enhances the immune system of the infants. Human milk contains an array of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory compounds that contain long-term benefits against infections, years after lactation is terminated. A recommendation from the WHO and UNICEF stated that, all mothers should breastfeed their infants exclusively for the first six months of birth. This review was performed to assess the effect of breastfeeding in reducing the risk of infections with gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infection during the infancy.

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