Antibodies in Mother's Milk Protect Children Against Giardiasis

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 322 - 325
• Main Authors: Tellez, Aleyda, Winiecka-krusnell, Jadwiga, Paniagua, Margarita, Linder, Ewert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2003; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Feeding; Child, Preschool; Developing Countries; Diarrhea, Infantile - epidemiology; Diarrhea, Infantile - etiology; Female; Giardia lamblia - immunology; Giardiasis - epidemiology; Giardiasis - prevention & control; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Immunity, Maternally-Acquired - immunology; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Milk, Human - immunology; Nicaragua - epidemiology; Parasitic diseases; Parasitic diseases due to ciliates and flagellates; Prospective Studies; Protozoal diseases; Risk Assessment; Sampling Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Nicaragua; Human; Immunoprotection; Protozoal disease; Maternal origin; Antibody; Passive immunity; Parasitosis; Infection; Newborn; Giardiasis; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Child
• ISSN: 0036-5548; 1651-1980
• DOI: 10.1080/00365540310008041

The protective effect of anti-Giardia antibodies in mother's milk on the acquisition of Giardia infection in their children during the first 2 y of life was analysed as part of a prospective study on infant diarrhoea in a group of 307 mothers and children in Leòn, Nicaragua. Among 24 children acquiring infection within the first 6 months, 23 were born to mothers lacking antibodies. These children also developed more severe diarrhoea. A significant difference between children born to mothers with and without antibodies with respect to the age at which the first Giardia infection was acquired was demonstrated by survival analysis and log rank test (p=0.036). In conclusion, children born to non-immune mothers are at significantly higher risk of acquiring Giardia infection and developing giardiasis with more severe symptoms compared with children of immune mothers.