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Breast Feeding: How a Baby can Provide Saliva that Helps Mum Heal Him/Her

  • innereastacupunctu
  • Sep 15
  • 3 min read

By Dr Luke McPherson (TCM)

TCM, Acupuncture, Crows Nest

breast feeding

When it comes to breastfeeding, science continues to uncover extraordinary ways that breast milk supports a baby’s health. One fascinating question parents often ask is: Does a baby’s saliva go into breast milk and help the mother produce antibodies?


Emerging research suggests the relationship between a baby’s saliva and a mother’s breast milk is far more dynamic than once thought. Here’s what we know.


Baby Saliva and Breast Milk: The Backwash Effect

During breastfeeding, small amounts of a baby’s saliva can flow back into the mother’s nipple and milk ducts. This phenomenon is sometimes called retrograde flow or the backwash effect. Scientists believe this allows the mother’s body to “sample” her baby’s oral environment and adapt breast milk accordingly (Moossavi & Azad, 2019).


How Baby Saliva Interacts With Breast Milk


1. Shaping the Microbiome

When infant saliva mixes with breast milk, fascinating biochemical reactions occur. Saliva contains compounds like xanthine and hypoxanthine, which react with the enzyme xanthine oxidase found in breast milk. This produces hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)—a natural antimicrobial that can suppress harmful bacteria while supporting beneficial microbes. This process may help shape the infant’s oral and gut microbiome (Al-Shehri et al., 2015).


2. Immune Signaling

Animal studies suggest backwash may act as a biological “signal,” prompting the mother’s mammary glands to adjust the immune properties of her milk. For example, when infants are ill, mothers sometimes produce milk richer in immune cells and antibodies (Hassiotou et al., 2013).


Do Mothers Produce New Antibodies From Baby Saliva?


This is where science gets intriguing—and a bit speculative.


  • Well-established: Breast milk contains antibodies, especially secretory IgA, that protect the baby from infections by coating the gut and mucosal surfaces (Goldman, 1993).

  • Possible mechanism: Animal studies suggest that a baby’s saliva may signal the mother’s body to increase antibody levels, but direct human evidence is still lacking (Hassiotou et al., 2013).

  • Human observations: Breast milk often changes composition when infants are unwell, but researchers are not yet certain whether saliva is the trigger (Moossavi & Azad, 2019).


In short, while the idea that saliva directly stimulates new antibody production in mothers is not yet proven in humans, the evidence strongly supports a dynamic two-way exchange between mother and child.


Why This Matters for Breastfeeding Immunity


Breastfeeding is more than nutrition—it’s an immune partnership. Through antibodies, immune cells, and microbiome-modulating compounds, breast milk provides:


  • Passive immunity: Antibodies that protect babies from infections in early life.

  • Adaptive response: Potentially dynamic immune changes in response to infant health.

  • Microbiome support: Compounds that help beneficial bacteria thrive while keeping pathogens in check.


These discoveries highlight just how responsive breast milk is, reinforcing the advice that breastfeeding offers unmatched health benefits when possible.


Key Takeaways


  1. Baby saliva can travel into the breast during feeding, a process called backwash.

  2. Saliva + breast milk interactions produce protective compounds that shape the infant’s microbiome.

  3. Mothers already pass antibodies to their babies through milk, based on their own immune history.

  4. The theory that saliva prompts new antibody production in mothers is supported in animal studies but still unproven in humans.

  5. Regardless, breastfeeding immunity is powerful, dynamic, and tailored to the baby’s needs.


The connection between baby saliva and breast milk shows just how remarkable the mother-infant bond is—not only emotionally, but biologically. While research is ongoing, what we know for certain is that breast milk provides babies with a uniquely adaptive form of immune protection. It is living, changing medicine—perfectly designed to give babies the best possible start in life.


References

Al-Shehri, S. S., Knox, C. L., Liley, H. G., Cowley, D. M., Wright, J. R., Henman, M. G., Hewavitharana, A. K., Charles, B. G., Shaw, P. N., Sweeney, E. L., Duley, J. A., & Gordon, D. L. (2015). Breastmilk-saliva interactions boost innate immunity by regulating the oral microbiome in early infancy. PLOS ONE, 10(9), e0135047. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0135047


Goldman, A. S. (1993). The immune system of human milk: Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 12(8), 664–671. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006454-199308000-00008


Hassiotou, F., Hepworth, A. R., Metzger, P., Tat Lai, C., Trengove, N., Hartmann, P. E., & Filgueira, L. (2013). Maternal and infant infections stimulate a rapid leukocyte response in breastmilk. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 2(4), e3. https://doi.org/10.1038/cti.2013.1


Moossavi, S., & Azad, M. B. (2019). Origins of human milk microbiota: New evidence and arising questions. Gut Microbes, 10(6), 576–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2018.1545950

 
 
 

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