Maternal milk cytokines and infant immune development

Maternal milk contains cytokines, which are important in immune development and breastfeeding has been shown to provide protection against many infections in infancy and the development of allergies. Oral antigens such as food are usually processed in a manner that results in a regulated immune response that does not injure the host. After birth, the gastrointestinal tract is exposed to oral antigens at a time when the gut mucosal immune system has not fully developed. Maternal milk may provide the cytokine environment for developing appropriate immune responses to food antigens. Infant formula is deficient in the cytokines found in maternal milk, which can decrease the potential for aberrant immune development in neonates.