Gunnlaugsson G, da Silva M C, Smedman L
Centre of Maternal and Child Health, Guinea Bissau.
Arch Dis Child. 1993 Jul;69(1):134-7. doi: 10.1136/adc.69.1.134.
Colostrum has important anti-infective properties. It may also somehow promote the development of the child's immunological system. Discarding colostrum, as practised in some cultures, could thus have adverse health consequences beyond the neonatal period. To test this hypothesis, the age at breast feeding start of 734 healthy newborns in urban Guinea-Bissau was ascertained. The children were then prospectively followed up to 3 years of age. Eighty nine deaths occurred during the study. The probability of death in the age interval 28 days to 3 years was about 20%. The child's age at breast feeding start had no statistical impact on postneonatal growth or survival. As a single measure, early breast feeding start is not likely to make much difference for the long term growth or survival of children living under material poverty conditions.
初乳具有重要的抗感染特性。它也可能以某种方式促进儿童免疫系统的发育。因此，在某些文化中实行的丢弃初乳的做法，可能会在新生儿期之后产生不良健康后果。为了验证这一假设，确定了几内亚比绍城市地区734名健康新生儿开始母乳喂养的年龄。然后对这些儿童进行前瞻性随访至3岁。研究期间有89例死亡。出生后28天至3岁期间的死亡概率约为20%。儿童开始母乳喂养的年龄对出生后生长或生存没有统计学影响。作为一项单一措施，尽早开始母乳喂养对于生活在物质贫困条件下的儿童的长期生长或生存不太可能有太大影响。
