Stem Cells in Breastmilk (or, one reason I'm 'still' nursing a two year old)

There is a lot of exciting breastfeeding research being done in Australia. This is from the
Science Network of Western Australia:

The Perth scientist who made the world-first discovery that human breast milk contains stem cells is confident that within five years scientists will be harvesting them to research treatment for conditions as far-reaching as spinal injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

But what Dr Mark Cregan is excited about right now is the promise that his discovery could be the start of many more exciting revelations about the potency of breast milk.

He believes that it not only meets all the nutritional needs of a growing infant but contains key markers that guide his or her development into adulthood.

“We already know how breast milk provides for the baby’s nutritional needs, but we are only just beginning to understand that it probably performs many other functions,” says Dr Cregan, a molecular biologist at The University of Western Australia.

He says that, in essence, a new mother’s mammary glands take over from the placenta to provide the development guidance to ensure a baby’s genetic destiny is fulfilled.

“It is setting the baby up for the perfect development,” he says. “We already know that babies who are breast fed have an IQ advantage and that there’s a raft of other health benefits. Researchers also believe that the protective effects of being breast fed continue well into adult life.

“The point is that many mothers see milks as identical – formula milk and breast milk look the same so they must be the same. But we know now that they are quite different and a lot of the effects of breast milk versus formula don’t become apparent for decades. Formula companies have focussed on matching breast milk’s nutritional qualities but formula can never provide the developmental guidance.”

The rest of the article is here.

Those of you who know me (which is all of you, right?) know I'm not rabid about other people breastfeeding; I want to help if they want to do it, and if they are on the fence about it, I'll want to provide info that might help them climb over to the breastfeeding side, but I try not to ram it down anyone's throat. However, I think there is a lack of information and support for breastfeeding so I do spend many volunteer hours a month helping women with breastfeeding questions or concerns. And just to clarify, I don't think everyone should do things 'my way.' What works for me is not necessarily the best choice for everyone else, especially in terms of how long I choose to nurse my kids. Don't get me wrong; I strongly believe that every baby was born to be breastfed, but I do know that exceptions exist that interfere with this. I look forward to the day when mothers who can't nurse their own babies can have more safe alternatives than commercial formula based on cow's milk or soy protein. Mother's milk is a natural resource that is highly underrated.