Does Breastfeeding Impact Postpartum Maternal Immune Homeostasis?
Tyldesley, Marlena
Tyldesley, Marlena
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Abstract
The benefits of breastfeeding for newborns are extensive and well-documented, but the impact of breastfeeding on the mother remains relatively unstudied in comparison. This review aims to assess what is known regarding the impact of breastfeeding on maternal immune homeostasis in the postpartum period. There is evidence that known sex hormones and pregnancy hormones exhibit immunomodulatory activities, and an additional body of work on the effect of pregnancy/breastfeeding on mothers with autoimmune disorders that supports immune changes in the postpartum period. We propose mechanisms for studying these effects in healthy animals which model human breastfeeding behaviors.
Description
Undergraduate
Date
2022-01-01