Downham M A, Scott R, Sims D G, Webb J K, Gardner P S
Br Med J. 1976 Jul 31;2(6030):274-6. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6030.274.
Eight out of 115 infants admitted to hospital with respiratory syncytial (RS) virus infection had been breast-fed compared with 46 out of 167 controls; this difference was statistically significant. Twenty-one specimens of human colostrum were examined, and all contained RS virus neutralising activity. Specific IgA and IgG were detected in 18 specimens, whereas IgM was detected in none. The titre of IgA antibody was usually higher and correlated more closely to the titre of neutralising activity than that of IgG. Infants inhale milk feeds and regurgitate them through the nose, and the IgA collecting in the respiratory tract might protect against severe respiratory infection. Alternatively, if severe RS virus illness is a sign of hypersensitivity to the virus breast-feeding might protect the infant from an early sensitising infection.
115名因呼吸道合胞（RS）病毒感染入院的婴儿中，有8名曾接受母乳喂养，而167名对照组婴儿中有46名曾接受母乳喂养；这种差异具有统计学意义。对21份人初乳样本进行了检测，所有样本均含有RS病毒中和活性。在18份样本中检测到特异性IgA和IgG，而未在任何样本中检测到IgM。IgA抗体的滴度通常更高，并且与中和活性滴度的相关性比IgG更紧密。婴儿吸入乳汁并通过鼻子反流，呼吸道中聚集的IgA可能预防严重的呼吸道感染。或者，如果严重的RS病毒疾病是对该病毒过敏的迹象，母乳喂养可能会保护婴儿免受早期致敏感染。
