World-first research has found newborns exclusively fed colostrum – the breastmilk produced during the first 72 hours after birth – were five times less likely to develop a peanut allergy by 12-18 months than babies who also received formula in the days following birth.
The study, led by researchers from The University of Western Australia and The Kids Research Institute Australia, also found newborns exclusively fed colostrum were 11 times less likely to develop multiple food allergies, such as egg or cow's milk.
Published in the top-ranked journal, Allergy, the study provides the first evidence linking exclusive colostrum intake with long-term health benefits to newborns.
Researchers used data from 666 infants participating in ORIGINS – Australia's largest longitudinal birth cohort study – to compare the risk of developing food allergies at 12-18 months of age in infants exclusively fed colostrum (ECF) in their first 72 hours of life, versus those only partially fed colostrum (PCF) during that period.
Led by Professor Valerie Verhasselt – Director of the Larsson Rosenquist Foundation Centre for Immunology and Breastfeeding at UWA and Head of Immunology and Breastfeeding at The Kids Research Institute Australia – the team used hospital records to determine how the infants were fed during their first three days.
They then gathered food allergy data from the children's paediatric appointments at 12-18 months.
More than half the 666 infants were classified as PCF, having received formula supplementation within their first 72 hours of life.
By 12-18 months, these children were found to be five times more likely to develop a peanut allergy and 11 times more likely to develop multiple food allergies.
The study also found infants fed colostrum more than nine times per day had no cases of peanut allergy, even if they also received formula supplementation.
"Strikingly, we observed that nine or more colostrum feedings per day might fully protect the infants against peanut allergy," Professor Verhasselt said.
She said the increased risk of peanut allergy was most pronounced in PCF infants with later peanut allergen introduction, while it remained very low in ECF infants.
"This suggests ECF is a primary preventive strategy, whereas early peanut introduction is a risk-mitigating strategy that might be especially relevant for the higher-risk PCF infants."
Currently, one in two newborns in Western Australia receive formula top-ups in their first 72 hours of life.
Professor Verhasselt said it was important to recognise that not all mothers were able to breastfeed, whether due to personal circumstances, health conditions, or medical needs that require supplementation for their newborns.
It was imperative that parents of children who received formula during their first 72 hours of life were given clear, supportive guidance on how to reduce their child's risk of developing allergies.
"For infants who receive only partial colostrum feeding in the first 72 hours, it is especially important for parents to provide as much colostrum as possible and to introduce allergens into their child's diet earlier, as recommended by current guidelines," Professor Verhasselt said.
"It is our hope that we can continue to increase awareness of colostrum feeding through providing evidence-based education to early life healthcare providers, and empower all parents with clear, informative resources to help them make informed decisions for themselves and their newborns, in collaboration with their healthcare team."
ORIGINS, a collaboration between The Kids Research Institute Australia and Joondalup Health Campus, is the largest longitudinal study of its kind in Australia.
Following 10,000 WA children from their time in the womb into early childhood, its goal is to understand the impact of the early environment of the development of chronic diseases.
