Breastfeeding can help a child’s immune system develop faster than formula, since breast milk is full of immune cells. Breast milk also contains several antibodies, IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, and IgE, which protect the baby from harmful bacteria and microorganisms. Since babies don’t have strong immunities on their own, it is an advantage fo them to receive these benefits from breast milk after they are born. UNICEF recommends breastfeeding an infant for two years or more.

Key Takeaways:

• Doctors have long known that infants that were fed on breast milk fared better than infants who were fed on baby formula.
• Doctors have erroneously thought that the reason why infants fed on breast milk fared better was because breast milk does not contain bacteria.
• The real reason why breastfeeding babies is superior to infant formula is because the mother’s milk actively helps the infant to avoid disease in several ways.

“These proteins circulate in the infant’s blood for weeks to months after birth, neutralizing microbes or marking them for destruction by phagocytes-immune cells that consume and break down bacteria, viruses and cellular debris.”

Read more: https://kellymom.com/pregnancy/bf-prep/how_breastmilk_protects_newborns/