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BREAST-FED CHILDREN HAVE A LOWER RISK OF LEUKEMIA

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 Children who
were breast-fed for at least six months as a baby may have a slightly lower
risk of childhood leukemia than those who were not breast-fed, according to a
new analysis of previous research. In a review of 18 studies, researchers found
that babies who were breast-fed for six months or longer had a 19 percent lower
risk of childhood leukemia, compared with those who had not been breast-fed at
all or those who were breast-fed for shorter periods of time. In a separate
analysis of 15 of the studies, the investigators found that children who were
breast-fed for any period of time were 11 percent less likely to develop
leukemia than those who were never breast-fed. Even though childhood leukemia
is quite rare, the incidence rate increases each year.
However,
little is known about what may cause it. The 18 studies that were included in
the review involved a total of more than 10,000 leukemia cases and 17,500
children who did not have leukemia. The studies were published from 1960 to
2014 in peer-reviewed journals.

While
childhood leukemia overall is a rare disease, it is still the most common type
of childhood cancer, and accounts for almost one in three cancers in children
and teens,  these analytics were
according to the American Cancer Society. The researchers looked at both acute
lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in children. About
85 percent of children with ALL survive the disease, whereas about 60 to 70
percent of children with AML survive.
The findings
add to the body of research conducted over the past 20 years that indicates
that there is a strong association between infant nutrition and leukemia. The
exact mechanism behind the link between being breast-fed and the lower risk of
childhood leukemia is not clear, but the researchers proposed some ideas. Breast
milk is a live substance. It contains antibodies made by the mother that
promote a healthy community of gut bacteria in the intestines of the infant and
influence the development of the child’s immune system.
Another
possible mechanism that could explain the link is that breast-feeding may keep
the pH levels in an infant’s stomach in a range that promotes the production of
a beneficial protein complex called HAMLET, HAMLET may have the ability to kill
cancer cells. Breast milk also contains stem cells that have some properties
similar to those of human embryonic stem cells, which may also activate the
immune system to fight cancer.
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