Milk immunity and reproductive status among Ariaal women of northern Kenya

Abstract

Background: The immune factors in human milk protect infants from infection and promote immune development. Evidence suggests that the production of milk-specific immunoproteins is energetically costly, making them a form of maternal investment in offspring health that is subject to life history trade-offs.Aim: This research tests the relationship between measures of reproductive effort and the production of milk immunoglobulin A (IgA) among Ariaal women, a settled northern Kenyan pastoralist population that experiences nutritional and disease stress.Subjects and methods: Two hundred and forty-three lactating Ariaal women participated in a questionnaire, anthropometric measurement and milk collection. Milk IgA was analysed using ELISA.Results: There was a significant U-shaped relationship between post-partum months and milk IgA, reflecting decreasing investment in the current offspring over the early post-partum period and subsequent recovery of maternal energy status near the end. There was also a significant inverse U-shaped relationship between milk IgA and parity, with high parity women showing a drop in milk IgA. In contrast, anthropometric measures of energy status were not associated with the production of milk IgA.Conclusion: This research shows that patterns of reproductive investment can be demonstrated in milk IgA in the absence of measured energy changes.