모유수유와 알레르기 질환에 대한 고찰

A Study on Breastfeeding and Allergic Diseases: Focused on Gut Microbiota

Objectives: This study reviewed the components of human breast milk in terms of its nutritional and immunological aspects and discussed the relationship between breastfeeding and allergic diseases regarding gut microbiota. Methods: Pubmed, Google scholarship, and UptoDate scholastic were used as search sources. A combination of ‘Human breast milk’, ‘Breastfeeding’, ‘Allergic disease’, ‘Atopic dermatitis’, ‘Asthma’, ‘Allergic rhinitis’, and ‘Microbiota’ was used as a search term. Without regard to the year of publication, literature in both Korean and English was examined. Results: Breast milk contains large amounts of macronutrients, micronutrients, and immunologic components, meaning more than just nutritional benefits. It plays an important role in preventing infection and developing a mature immune system during the early period of life. Studies on the correlation between breastfeeding and allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis have conflicting results. However, it is suggested that the delivery of immunologic components and changes in gut microbiota through breastfeeding lead to changes in the immune response, affecting the occurrence of allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma. Conclusions: It is clear that breastfeeding has nutritional and immune benefits for infants It is expected that the exact causal relationship between breastfeeding and gut microbiota will be examined through further studies.