Immunisation

Breastfeeding protects children against all kinds of diseases the mother has lived through and that the child himself colonizes his mother with. Research showed that maternal vaccination also protects her child. Eick et al found that the breastfed children of mothers who got a seasonal flu shot showed less influenza or influenzlike symptoms during the first half year of life. Vicor c.s. conducted a very interesting study that showed that preconceptional maternal immunisation can protect a child via breastfeeding to develop allergies. Maternal immunization with ovalbumin upregulates the inhibitory FcγRIIb expression on offspring B cells, avoiding skewed Th2 response and development of allergy. These findings contribute to the advancement of prophylactic strategies to prevent allergic diseases in early life. This might be a better prevention of allergies then the premature (between 4 and 6 months) introduction of solids.
Eick AA; Uyeki TM; Klimov A; Hall H; Reid R; Santosham M; O'Brien KL: Maternal Influenza Vaccination and Effect on Influenza Virus Infection in Young Infants. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2010;0(2010):archpediatrics.2010.192.
Victor JR, Muniz BP, Fusaro AE, de Brito CA, Taniguchi EF, Duarte AJS, Sato MN: Maternal immunization with ovalbumin prevents neonatal allergy development and up-regulates inhibitory receptor FcγRIIB expression on B cells. BMC Immunology 2010, 11:11