DO MILK-BORNE CYTOKINES AND HORMONES INFLUENCE NEONATAL IMMUNE CELL-FUNCTION

Cytokines, growth factors and various hormones collectively control th e proliferation, survival, differentiation and function of immune cell s. A wide array of these compounds is present in maternal milk and ing ested by neonates during a period of rapid maturation of gut-associate d and peripheral lymphoid tissues. The functional consequences of most milk immunomodulatory constituents in neonates are unknown. However, there is evidence that milk prolactin acts as a developmental regulato r of the neonatal immune system, supporting the premise that milk cons tituents with immunomodulatory activity may serve as neonatal immunode velopment agents.