Book Review: HIV and infant feeding: A guide for health-care managers and supervisors
Abstract
10.1177/0890334405275473 ReviewsReviews Books Immunobiology of Human Milk: How Breastfeed- ing Protects Babies Lars A. Hanson, MD, PhD Pharmasoft Publishing, 2004 234 pages, illustrated, glossary, index, (US)$29.95, softcover Orders: Pharmasoft Publishing, 1712 N. Forest, Ama- rillo, TX 79106-7301 USA Tel: (800) 378-1317; fax: (806) 376-9901 URL: www.iBreastfeeding.com Dr. Hanson has studied immunobiology of breast milk since 1955 and has published 650 papers. His pur- pose is to review the literature and explain how human milk gives short-term and long-term protection to human babies. To do this, he first sets up a base of knowledge that includes defense mechanisms of the fetus and newborn (eg, bacterial colonization of the intestine) and how delivery practices help or hinder this process. He gives a good primer on the innate defense system (eg, the role of the skin, stomach pH, phagocytes) and the adaptive (eg, cell-mediated immu- nity, antibody production, complement system). A separate chapter is dedicated to individual compo- nents of human colostrum and breast milk explaining their composition, amount, and function, as they pertain to immunity. Studies showing protection against dis- ease in breastfed infants are examined and comparison in the response to vaccination between the breastfed andnonbreastfed baby is presented.