Researchers followed a birth group that compared infants from Old Order Mennonite farming families in New York's Finger Lakes region with urban and suburban families in Rochester. They followed mothers and babies from pregnancy through the first year and collected cord blood, infant blood, stool, saliva and human milk.
Farm-exposed infants had more experienced B cells and higher antibody levels (IgG and IgA) in blood, saliva and stool. Mothers from farm families had higher IgA in their milk. The team measured egg-specific IgG4 and IgA in infant blood and milk and found higher levels in the Mennonite group.
There was a clear gradient in milk antibody levels: highest in Mennonite breast milk, lowest in mothers of infants with egg allergy, and intermediate in mothers of non-allergic infants. The researchers say they cannot prove causality from this study.
Difficult words
- antibody — a protein the immune system makes to fight germs
- b cell — a white blood cell that makes those proteinsB cells
- cord blood — blood from a baby immediately after birth
- milk — liquid from a mother's breasts to feed babieshuman milk, breast milk
- allergy — when the body reacts badly to a foodegg allergy
- gradient — a change that goes from low to high
- causality — the idea that one thing causes another
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Discussion questions
- Do you think farm life can change a baby's health? Why or why not?
- Would you consider breastfeeding because of antibodies in milk? Why or why not?
- Do you know someone with a food allergy such as egg allergy? How does it affect them?
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