ABSTRACT
Human milk remains the preferred nutrition in early life for infant development. Infant formula has been developed over many decades into adequate nutrition for those infants who cannot receive human milk. However, even modern infant formulas lack components that are tailor-made by each mother for the immune imprinting of her baby, such as specific antibodies and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). The primary immune challenge after birth is infection, but secondary to this, the immune system should develop and mature in the most appropriate way to fight against the onset of immune disorders such as allergies and autoimmunity, which is pivotal for healthy development. The chapter highlights the immunological importance of unique and specific oligosaccharides known to be present in human milk, focusing on their role in immune development. The protective effect of breastfeeding against infections is suggested to be attributed at least in part to the presence of complex human milk specific oligosaccharides.
