Question

The parents of a 2-month-old infant often took him along with them on their frequent trips to the mall. One of the grandmothers suggested that they leave him home, as it was flu season and the malls were full of coughing and sneezing people. The mother immediately responded that she was breast-feeding the baby, and with all those antibodies from her, he was surely protected against any diseases in the mall. Later as she sat at the pediatrician’s office holding her sick baby, she expressed disbelief that he could have caught the flu. If you were the doctor what fallacies in this mother's beliefs could you explain toher?

Answer 1

Answer:

Breast feeding only cannot stop the flu. She should have observed other safety measures.

Explanation:

Breast milk only protects against digestive tract infections; it does not provide bloodstream antibodies against those illnesses that can be stopped by vaccines.

Vaccination against severe illnesses like the flu, provides different antibodies from the antibodies that are transmitted through breast milk. Exposing the baby in an area full of people with the flu made the baby get the flu. Because even though she was breastfeeding, she should have kept the baby away from flu symptoms.