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Role of Breast Milk in Acquisition of Cytomegalovirus Infection
Author(s) -
Minamishima Ikuko,
Ueda Kohji,
Minematsu Toshio,
Minamishima Yoichi,
Umemoto Masakazu,
Take Hiromichi,
Kuraya Kazue
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1994.tb01821.x
Subject(s) - breast milk , breast feeding , cytomegalovirus , human cytomegalovirus , offspring , serology , medicine , betaherpesvirinae , pregnancy , antibody , biology , physiology , immunology , obstetrics , viral disease , pediatrics , herpesviridae , virus , genetics , biochemistry
The prevalence of IgG antibody against cytomegalovirus (CMV) was compared between the age‐matched (0 month to 2 years of age) groups of 212 breast‐fed children and 223 bottle‐fed children to examine the role of breast milk for acquisition of CMV. Mothers of both groups of children were also examined for CMV IgG antibodies. Both the breast‐fed and bottle‐fed children groups showed high seropositivity for CMV at 0 to 2 months of age, which gradually decreased and bottomed at 6 to 8 months of age. Thereafter, in the breast‐fed children group, the seropositivity rate increased up to 70% by 1 year of age. In contrast, in the bottle‐fed children group, the seropositivity rate remained at the bottom level of lower than 30%, without showing any apparent increases. The serological data of the children whose mothers were confirmed to be seropositive, revealed that mother‐to‐child transmission of CMV occurred in 11 of 17 (64.7%) of the breast‐fed children and in 24 of 87 (27.6%) of the bottle‐fed children. All the bottle‐fed children born to seronegative mothers remained seronegative for CMV up to 1 year of age. The bottle‐fed children showed significantly lower seropositivity than the breast‐fed children, although most of both groups of children were born to seropositive mothers. The results strongly suggested that about 40% of the breast‐fed children acquire CMV via breast milk and breast‐feeding has certain protective effects on congenital CMV disease in the offspring.