Mother’s milk may boost immunity in new born: Study

Mother's milk may boost the immunity of a newborn in a way that it may work against certain diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) just as vaccination does, a new study has found, IANS reported.

''Some vaccines are not safe to give a newborn baby and others just don't work very well in newborns,'' said lead researcher Ameae Walker, professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine in the US, IANS reported.

''If we can instead vaccinate mom or boost her vaccination shortly before she becomes pregnant, transferred immune cells during breastfeeding will ensure that the baby is protected early on,'' Walker explained.

Scientists had long held that mother's milk provided immune protection against some infectious agents through the transfer of antibodies, a process called ''passive immunity.''