Formulas currently lack additives designed to specifically protect against infection. White blood cells are the front line of defense in the body's war against infection. In an effort to understand whether G-CSF might play a role in breast milk's ability to ward off disease, scientists from UF's College of Medicine examined milk samples from 126 women who recently gave birth. Twelve women had an infection of the placental membranes. Further results showed that mothers with infections of the placental membranes had significantly higher concentrations of the protein, whether they delivered prematurely or at term.
Infection is the equalizer, making the concentration go up.
Study results also indicated that G-CSF levels were much higher in the first 48 hours following delivery than in subsequent days. The UF research builds on findings from a 1998 study by researchers at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins universities that showed premature babies who were exclusively fed human milk had a 57 percent lower incidence of infection. Breast-feeding is very important for premature babies because even if a mom delivers early, breast milk still contains many antibodies, proteins, cells and fats, each of which is important to overall nutrition, Calhoun added. Calhoun also recently analyzed whether G-CSF is broken down during digestion. Interestingly, the protein in human milk withstood digestion, but it did not hold up when it was added to formula, UF researchers reported in the December issue of the journal Pediatric Research.