Breast feeding and immunity question

[lyravoile]

Does a breast fed baby have higher immunity only while it's breastfed? Say if I breastfed my DC til they were four months, would they have greater immunity to illness than a formula fed baby, but when I stopped at 4 months would they go back to the same level of immunity as a formula fed baby? Or would they still have a level of health immunity which stays with them from those four months of BF?

I haven't phrased it well but hopefully you know what i mean.

The antibodies transferred in breast milk (passive immunity) have a limited lifespan so this protection would only last weeks after stopping feeding, but breastfed babies also have better active immunity, respond better to vaccinations, and have enhanced protection against some diseases for years after they are weaned. The protection increases with length of time they are fed, but I would think 4 months is long enough to give a significant boost.

As Baking says it enhances their immunity by helping it develop in response to inoculation etc. In terms of immunity to stuff they're exposed to "then and there" it's more temporary. But 4 months will definitely have a positive impact.

DS1 got chicken pox just after weaning - I was gutted.

DS3 got chicken pox whilst still ebf - I got over myself.

I agree with pps - it works dynamically while they're feeding, and tails off quickly once they stop. But worth it regardless.

Thanks all so much for your answers, exactly what I needed to know

I also found that it wasn't a s responsive once I wasn't with DS - so he didn't get a single illness in his first year, even though I did, it's as though I passed my immune response over. As soon as he went to nursery, even though I was still breastfeeding, he was exposed to bugs that I wasn't, and then he started picking up all the illnesses for a while.

I'm pleased I've stumbled upon this thread. My DS is now 6 weeks old and EBF till now. I've had a few probably quite minor probs - just young baby gassiness/colic which he's over now and then major growth spurt and all day hungriness and a bit very attached to mummy! All normal stuff but tough on my DD aged 4 who is still mainly at home till she starts school in Sept.

I bf DD till 7 mths but thinking of switching over gradually to formula as I just can't keep up the feeding. However I'm a bit disappointed I can't feed DS as long as DD. I've been trying to find out exactly what DS is missing out on if I stop after 6 weeks - obviously he won't miss any of the early colostrum and there's no problem with bonding.

DD got ear infections and two v bad colds while I was breastfeeding her so I don't think my immunity is up to much!

I suppose I'm looking for good reasons for continuing bf beyond 6 weeks that would outweigh my feeling that DS needs to feel more satisfied on each feed and my family needs to get into family life now rather than put up with my routineless chaos!

Can anyone tell me the definitive benefits I would give DS by continuing to bf rather than combining or switching to formula?