From:
Ferrets4all@aol.com
Date: 2002-09-29 19:41:50 UTC
Subject: Protection from breast milk
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <150.14e66049.2ac8b17e@aol.com>
A discussion that started about distemper vaccinations has evolved into a
discussion about ADV testing, and at the core of it is the question of
whether or not antibody protection is passed in breast milk.
Again, I do not claim to know the answer first hand, but as a mother, I
remember being told I should breast feed my baby so he would have better
immunity. This was not just the first 24 hours, but for as long as possible.
I know that the hospitals are still encouraging this (or at least some are)
because I now have 2 grandson's, and my daughter-in-law was encouraged to
breast feed them also.
So, I did a search on the Net, and found several sites that talk about the
benefits of breast feeding. Granted, this is in humans, not ferrets.
However, it would appear from these sites that there is benefit derived from
long term breast feeding, and not just from the colostrum.
Here are some of the URLs:
http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/bfinfect.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1999991.stm
http://www.thechiropracticvillage.com/id81.htm
http://wings.buffalo.edu/publications/reporter/vol26/vol26n5/18.txt
http://www.pacpubserver.com/new/health/a-b/hm122400.html
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/DailyNews/August2001/HigherRatesBFReduceMort.ht
m
Interestingly enough, there was also information about a British study that
showed prolonged breast feeding may also lead to heart problems later in life
(for the child, not the mother). However, that is getting off topic.