by Mary Jessica Hammes
June 06, 2010

Lactation consultants know their stuff. Years ago, one of them told me that breastfeeding enhances the effects of some vaccines, and she also recommended breastfeeding as soon as possible following vaccinations, since doing so is a natural pain reliever for baby.

That was news to me. When I mentioned it to my son’s pediatrician, he said feel free to stay in the examination room following the shots to breastfeed for as long as I’d like (which I appreciated very much) but it made me wonder, would he have recommended the breastfeeding remedy to me had I not suggested it? Only the lactation consultant had ever advised doing so in the first place.

Go hug a lactation consultant.

Research
Lucky for new moms and dads, word is spreading. A new study published in Pediatrics links breastfeeding to reduced fever following vaccinations, after examining 450 infants’ temperatures on the evening they received vaccinations plus the following three days.

Results
The infants who were not breastfed at all had much higher reports of fever than those who were exclusively breastfed. Fever was reported in 30 (25 percent) exclusively breastfed children; 48 (31 percent) partially breastfed children; and 94 (53 percent) of children who were not breastfed at all.

We already know that breast milk is an immune booster which may explain why the body’s response to vaccines is more effective in breastfed children. Breast milk also has anti-inflammatory properties which may explain the reduced risk for swelling and redness at the vaccination site as well as post-vaccination fever. It’s also believed that the skin-to-skin contact inherent in breastfeeding helps—a feverish baby might find comfort in being held close to his mother. The authors of this study suggest that the reason breastfeeding helps reduce post-vaccination fevers is partly based in emotion: babies who don’t feel well want to nurse for comfort. A lot. So, in this instance, breastfed babies end up getting more calories than bottle-fed babies. Extra caloric intake has been shown to help prevent fevers. Meanwhile, it has been reported that bottle-fed babies have a reduced caloric intake after being immunized, which could increase their risk for fever.

Recommendations
Some breastfeeding mothers may not be at all surprised by this research; most instinctually soothe an upset child by nursing. Once, when my then-infant son was ill, my older sister (who breastfed her two children) gave me this simple advice: “Breastfeed, breastfeed, breastfeed.” Without the knowledge of this study to back her up, she knew—as countless other mothers know—that breast milk not only comforts but protects.

“When infants are sick and after a vaccination shot, they need not only water, food and a calm environment, but also to be protected,” Dr. Alfredo Pisacane, one of the study’s researchers, tells Reuters. “They need the warm body of their mothers. Breastfeeding provides all what an infant does need during illness.”

For moms who don’t—or no longer—breastfeed, skin-to-skin contact and lukewarm sponge baths may help bring down a baby’s fever. All parents should talk with their baby’s doctor about using infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen (when to administer, accurate dosage, signs of fever). And while we are sure you have seen this already, check out the list of recently recalled children’s Tylenol products.

Most importantly, love your sick baby.