Jmd. Thompson et al., Previous breastfeeding does not alter thymic size in infants dying of sudden infant death syndrome, ACT PAEDIAT, 89(1), 2000, pp. 112-114
The relationship between thymic weights and previous feeding histories was
examined in 294 infants of 37 wk gestation or more dying of sudden infant d
eath syndrome (SIDS). One hundred and sixty-five infants had been breastfed
exclusively, 89 had been partially breastfed and 40 had never been breastf
ed. We found no relationship between thymic weight and type of previous fee
ding. The difference between these findings in SIDS and the substantially g
reater thymic size previously reported in 4-mo-old breastfed living infants
deserves further study.