a-cohort-study-finds-lower-rates-of-gastrointestinal-and-respiratory-infections-

Question

A cohort study finds lower rates of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections among exclusively breastfed infants during the first 6 months compared to formula-fed infants. Which combination of mechanisms best explains these observed differences?

Accepted Answer

Higher bioavailability of certain nutrients in human milk plus transfer of maternal antibodies and immune cells that provide pathogen-specific protection and reduce allergy risk.

Answer

Sterile packaging of formula increases infection risk because its minerals chelate with antibodies in the infant gut, preventing endogenous immunity from developing in neonates who do not receive breast milk.

Answer

Higher caloric density in breast milk compared with formula combined with greater protein content in formula that paradoxically increases susceptibility to infection by modulating infant gut pH.

Answer

Formula contains live bacterial cultures that compete with the infant’s immune system, while breast milk lacks any antimicrobial factors, making breastfed infants less dependent on adaptive immunity.