What is the immune system?
The body`s natural defence against illnesses that can be caused by foreign microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.
Why does a baby`s immune system need support?
A newborn baby`s immune system isn`t fully mature, and is therefore more vulnerable to infections and developing allergies.
In utero, a baby benefits from passive immunity provided by the mother via the transfer of antibodies across the placenta.
When a baby is born, this passive immunity continues to be provided through breastmilk.
A baby`s ability to resist potential pathogens relies on them developing their own immune system.
References1. Hanson LA. Immune effects of the normal gut flora. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd. 1998; 146 (suppl 1): S2-S6. `Let them eat dirt`. Why toddlers` immune systems need exposure to everyday pathogensAllergic diseases, such as asthma, rhinitis and eczema are increasing in both the developed1 and developing2 world. A number of key factors are involved in the development of allergic diseases. These include: a family history of allergic disease,3,4 exposure ...Priming of the Immune System by FeedingThe immune system should protect the host against pathogenic organisms and inflammatory diseases. Pregnancy, the suckling period, and the periods during which formula and solid foods are introduced offer windows during which nutrition can affect the immunologic ...Food Allergy in Infants and Young ChildrenEpidemiological studies suggest that nearly 4% of people in western countries are afflicted with food allergies, a prevalence much higher than appreciated in the past. In addition, in the past five years the prevalence of peanut allergy has doubled in American ...Anti-inflammatory Effects of Insulin: Lessons from One of the Bioactive Peptides in Human MilkA wide variety of bioactive peptides present in human milk are not found in infant formulas1. These peptides include hormones (e.g. cortisol, thyroxin, insulin, estrogen, nerve growth factor, gastric inhibitory polypeptide), proteins that enhance nutrient ...Intestinal Bacteria and the Infant’s Developing Immune SystemThe intestinal microflora consists of hundreds of species in an adult individual. However, it is much less complex in early infancy as intestinal bacteria become established in a sequential process during the first year of life1. Download podcast Facultative ...Modulation of Gut MicrobiotaHealthy gut microbiota. The indigenous microbiota of an infant gastrointestinal tract is created through a complicated contact and interaction with the microbiota of the mother and the infant’s immediate environment. Nature induces initial colonisation by ...How Prebiotic Oligosaccharides could effect the immune system - preclinical dataPrebiotics: Pre-clinical Data on Immune modulating Effects Human milk contains a high amount and variety of complex non-digestible oligosaccharides (HMOS). It has been suggested that these oligosaccharides play an important role in the development of the immune ...How Prebiotic Oligosaccharides could effect the infant immune system-clinical dataPrebiotics: Clinical Data on Immune-modulating EffectsThe latest research on the carbohydrate composition of human milk has confirmed that oligosaccharides represent one of its main components. Oligosaccharides reach a concentration of 20 g/l in colostrum ...Immune Modulating Effects of Long-chain Polyunsaturated Fatty AcidsThere are two main families of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These are the omega-6 (n-6) and the omega-3 (n-3) families (Figure 9). These families differ from one another structurally and, in some respects, functionally. Mechanisms by which PUFAs influence ...Modulation of the Immune System in the Year 2050: Visions of ProspectsNutritional research into the future can be broadly categorised into two areas: (i) energy for metabolism and body status; and (ii) intervention in biological information transfer and storage.It is the second of these that future nutritional research of the ...
