Mothers who drink cow’s milk help baby immunity

DRINKING cow’s milk whilst breastfeeding could protect the baby from developing allergies, a study suggests.

The research, carried out on more than 500 mothers, showed those with non-allergic children at a year old drank more milk than the mothers of allergic children.

Scientists from the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, who carried out the research believe milk could kickstart the baby’s immune system.

This was the first study that tested the women for traces of dairy in their blood and breastmilk and had the allergies confirmed by a specialist.

Mia Stravik, first author of the study, said: “We have found that mothers of healthy one-year-olds consumed more cow’s milk during breastfeeding than mothers of allergic one-year-olds. Diet is a factor where parents can have direct influence.

“It is common nowadays for young women to avoid drinking milk, due in part to prevailing trends and concerns, some of which are linked to myths about diet.”

Professor Ann-sofie Sandberg, Mia Stravik’s supervisor, said that one possible explanation was the hygiene hypothesis.

She said: “In a child’s early development, there is a time window where stimulation of the immune system is necessary for the child to develop tolerance to different foods.

“According to something known as the hygiene hypothesis, early contact with various micro-organisms can function as something of a kickstart for a child’s immune system. But, with the lower prevalence of microorganisms in our more hygienic society, substances taken in through the mother’s diet can be another way to stimulate the maturity of the immune system.”

Researcher and co-author Malin Barman, said: “No matter how we looked at and interpreted the data, we came to the same conclusion.

“The mechanisms behind why milk has this preventative effect against allergies are still unclear.

“One hypothesis is that cow’s milk contains something that activates the child’s immune system and helps it to develop tolerance. This as-yet unknown cause could be found in the fat of the milk or its protein content.”