breastmilk antibodies and vaccinations

[MaterBum]

Moved discussion to better suited part of vax boards.

EDTA: Okay, anyone willing to help me translate this abstract into everday language? TIA!

[BeckyBird]

Here is my opinion.....

I am skeptical of anything from the CDC, FDA, or any other government organization. I do not believe them.

Are they looking for a reason why their vaccines don't work, by blaming the ineffectiveness on breastmilk? Sounds like it.

Is formula a major market in America? You bet. That's why many hospitals push formula on new babies....how often are new moms encouraged to breastfeed?

I don't know, I will take my chances with not vaxing & breastfeeding any day. I am so suspicious of mainstream medical care, so these studies just sound like they want to destroy breastfeeding altogether.

On second thought, if it is indeed true that breastmilk interferes with the vaccines, then that just proves how awesome it really is!!! Go breastmilk!

[MaterBum]

Just to be clear...I'm a non-vaxer as well. I thought that I'd remembered reading (and I think the one article states it as well) how breastmilk interferes with some vaccines because of the antibodies. So, giving a breastfeeding infant such vaccines only introduces them to the risks without the supposed benefits, right?

I have a friend who is a biochemist who on FB very arrogantly announced that HE doesn't know about any of the studies I casually referred to with antibodies and breastmilk interaction and that's because there is no such studies, blah blah, anyone who doesn't vaccinate is an "irrational nutjob." So I at least wanted to show him that there are some legitimate (by his definition) folks thinking about such things out there.

Anyway, I did my vax research over 6 years ago, so remembering where I saw what and pulling it up now is kind of difficult.

[newmum35]

Most pages I've read suggest quite the opposite... that vaccines work even better in breastfed babies.

Added Benefits
Several studies indicate that some factors in human milk may induce an infant's immune system to mature more quickly than it would were the child fed artificially. For example, breastfed babies produce higher levels of antibodies in response to immunizations.

http://www.mamadearest.ca/en/info/newman/protects.htm

VACCINATIONS AND BREASTFED BABIES: The recommended vaccination schedule does not have to be adjusted for nursing babies. The breastfed infant has an enhanced response to immunizations because of increased production of antibodies. The artificially fed baby’s immune response to vaccinations is diminished because his system doesn’t produce as many antibodies. While breastmilk contains many antibodies, they do not interfere in any way with the action of the vaccinations routinely given to babies.

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/h..._updates.shtml

[MaterBum]

newmum35, yes, I know SOME literature shows bm antibodies may aid, but did you look at the first link I posted at all? It suggests the opposite with the OPV given in India.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by newmum35

Most pages I've read suggest quite the opposite... that vaccines work even better in breastfed babies.

Well, they can have the study come out any way they want to. They determine the results before they fund a study.

[newmum35]

Originally Posted by MaterBum

newmum35, yes, I know SOME literature shows bm antibodies may aid, but did you look at the first link I posted at all? It suggests the opposite with the OPV given in India.

i read it, but was waiting for the translation as well lol

can you provide a link to where you moved discussion? I'd be interested as well.

[ema-adama]

This study is from 1992.

It is studying a rhesus rotavirus. The viruses in the rotateq, the vaccine used today, contain a combination of human and bovine rotaviruses (human-bovine reassortment rotaviruses)

Sometimes there are factors that interfer with vaccination. Like trying to vaccinate babies against measles did not work, as the mothers had passed on antibodies via the placenta and these antibodies interferred with the vaccine. I personally would not try and fix that problem. I believe babies are safer with the protections they get from their mothers through the placenta and breastmilk.

And there is information that breastfed babies mount a stronger response to vaccines, as PP have pointed out.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by ema-adama

This study is from 1992.

Moreover, it has nothing to do with "blaming breast milk" for the ineffectiveness of a vaccine:

Discussion

This study clearly demonstrated geographic differences in the prevalence of rotavirus-specific milk antibodies. These differences are probably due to variations in the degree of exposure to rotavirus. The acquisition of specific antibodies in milk on exposure has been shown for other infectious diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus. These data support the concept of the breast as a functioning part of the mucosal immune system.

[...]

Of all breast milk samples in Caracas, 33% had antibodies against the one RRV VP4 epitope studied compared with only 9% in Rochester samples. The origin of these antibodies is not known since this RRV VP4 epitope is not known to be present in any human rotavirus strains.

[...]

Future studies should be aimed at evaluating correlates of protection of breast milk in natural infection, including an analysis of factors, other than antibody, that may be present in human milk that may play a role in the neutralization of rotavirus activity.

(References omitted.)

It's a historical piece in the puzzle of figuring out how breast milk might provide this particular protection.