This post was written by Denise Roy, RN, lactation consultant, Parkview Health.
If you’re a new mother or expecting, you might be thinking about the pros and cons of breastfeeding. Some women have concerns around whether or not their little one might have a reaction to their milk, but rest assured, the research indicates the chances are low. We dig into three telling pieces of literature on the topic.
Human Lactation
The February 2016 issue of Human Lactation featured an article called, “Role of Immune Markers in Colostrum and Secretory Immunoglobulin A in Stools of Breastfed Infants,” In the text, the authors detailed how researchers studied stool samples from 108 infants at 5 days, 2 months and 4 months, and they found that breastfeeding provided a potential protective effect to infants during the first four months of life, regardless of whether their lactating mother had allergies or not.
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
In the May 2022 volume of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, shared results from a study of food proteins in human breast milk and probability of IgE-mediated allergic reaction in children during breastfeeding. In the systematic review, they assessed the probability of such a response in a newborn based on previous reports suggesting that food proteins present in human milk (HM) may trigger symptoms in allergic children during breastfeeding. The 32 studies indicated that allergic reactions to food in a mother’s diet was estimated 1 in 1,000 for cow’s milk, egg, peanut and wheat. The data suggests that the probability of Ig-E mediated allergic reactions to food proteins in human milk is low.
Cleveland Clinic
In October 2022, a Cleveland Clinic Health Essential article, “Can Your Baby be Allergic to Your Breast Milk,” Dr. Bjelac said, “Babies are absolutely not allergic to breast milk.” She states a small percentage of infants could be allergic to microscopic food proteins that pass through breast milk. Also, a small number of babies can have an intolerance of certain food proteins found in breast milk. Allergies and intolerances have different symptoms. Food allergy symptoms include extreme vomiting, hives, swelling of face and throat, and shortness of breath. Food intolerance symptoms include bloody stool, gassiness, diarrhea and stomachache.
The takeaway
The risk of an infant having an allergic reaction from mother’s breast milk is incredibly low. If you have concerns about your baby’s feeding habits or potential reactions, reach out to your pediatrician or lactation specialists.
