Decreased thymus size in formula-fed infants compared with breastfed infants
Decreased thymus size in formula-fed infants compared with breastfed infants
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1651-2227.1996.tb14211.x
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发表时间：
1996-09-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Nielsen, MB
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hasselbalch, H;Jeppesen, DL;Nielsen, MB
这项研究的目的是调查母乳喂养是否会影响胸腺的大小。对47名在医院出生的健康婴儿在出生时和4个月大时的胸腺指数(体积估计)进行了超声评估。记录喂养方式、体型和病史。4个月时，纯母乳喂养儿(n=21)、部分母乳喂养儿(n=13)和配方奶粉喂养儿(n=13)的胸腺几何平均指数分别为38.3(16.2~83.2)、2 7.3(15.6~5 0.0)和18.3(12.2~32.6)，P=0.0001。这一发现与体重、身高、性别以及既往或现在的疾病无关。三组仔猪出生时平均胸腺指数无显著差异，三组仔猪出生后至4月龄胸腺指数均有不同程度的增加。对于配方奶喂养的婴儿来说，胸腺似乎会在一段时间内保持较大，然后在母乳喂养结束后缩小。我们的结论是，在4个月大的时候，母乳喂养的婴儿的胸腺比配方奶喂养的婴儿大得多。这种差异的原因尚不清楚，但母乳中含有许多可能导致这种影响的免疫调节因子。
The objective of this research was to investigate if breastfeeding affects the size of the thymus. Ultrasound assessment of the thymic index (a volume estimate) at birth and age 4 months in 47 healthy infants born in the hospital were used. History of feeding mode, body size and illness were registered. At 4 months the geometric mean thymic index (range) was 38.3 (16.2-83.2) in exclusively breastfed infants (n = 21), 27.3 (15.6-50.0) in partially breastfed infants (n = 13) and 18.3 (12.2-32.6) in formula fed infants (n = 13; p = 0.0001,ANOVA). This finding was independent of weight, length, sex and previous or current illness. There was no significant difference in mean thymic index at birth between the three feeding groups and mean thymic index had increased in all three groups from birth to 4 months. For the formula-fed infants it seems that the thymus remains large for a period and then decreases in size after breastfeeding has been terminated. We conclude that the thymus is considerably larger in breastfed than in formula-fed infants at the age of 4 months. The cause of this difference is unknown but human milk contains many immune modulating factors that might cause this effect.