To this day, natural breast milk is still regarded as the best nutritional choice for babies. Recent research on stem cells, genetics, and epigenetics [1] from the last three decades, along with information obtained from studies about childhood and youth and testimonials from organizations that guide health policies worldwide, all support this claim. Modern medicine agrees that breastfeeding is the healthiest, most inexpensive, highest quality, and most appropriate choice for protecting both a mother and baby’s health [2]. The World Health Organization holds breastfeeding as an essential gold standard for the immunological development of a child, starting from the first six months to two years of age [3].

Breastfeeding has many benefits. It strengthens the emotional bond between the mother and her baby. It helps ensure that the baby grows in a healthy manner, by establishing its first feeling of trust; positively effects the baby’s intelligence level; and helps bolster the baby’s immune system.

One of the most studied issues in recent studies is the effect of breast milk on respiratory diseases such as asthma. The effects of breastfeeding on asthma, allergic diseases, and respiratory infections has been a topic of concern for the medical world for at least the last 80 years. Recent studies agree that breast milk has a preventive role against lower respiratory tract infections in infancy (0–2 years). However, there are some complications in these studies. Given the challenges in patient standardization, only food-allergy studies can be standardized. Due to the complexity of the environmental and genetic factors that trigger allergies, it should be considered normal that the effect of breast milk has not yet been fully established to protect against a wide range of allergic diseases, particularly asthma [4].

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood and has a complex structure. It has been on the rise lately, and scientists are scrambling to figure out what is causing this increase as well as the best ways to combat the disease. Asthma can be caused by a wide variety of sources, such as genetics, smoking, microscopic ticks and mites in house dust, allergenics such as grass or pollen, obesity, urban life, air pollution, synthetic nutrition, and imbalance in intestinal flora [5]. In addition, premature birth, low birth weight, a young mother, and early exposure to respiratory infections are factors that increase the risk of asthma [6]. Consequently, it is difficult to independently measure the effect of a single determinant in asthma. In a significant study on 3,963 children in the Netherlands, children were breastfed for at least four months and then followed for up to eight years after birth. The outcomes of the study revealed that breast milk significantly reduced the risk of asthma, independent of other variables. It has been observed that the rate of chronic asthma development decreases as the breastfeeding duration increases [7].

Today, breast milk’s benefits have been proven in protecting babies from respiratory infections both early on and later in life. Breastfeeding provides an emergency line of defense against infectious diseases by helping infants whose immune systems are not yet developed enough to fight infections.

Breastfeeding facilitates a beneficial germ exchange between mothers and babies and helps to develop a strong immune system. Enzymes, hormones, bioactive molecules, and growth factors in breast milk are all extremely vital for babies. These crucial molecules help develop the baby’s immune system by interacting with the proximate elements. Thanks to numerous features in its ingredients, breast milk has a significant role in supporting the baby’s immune system with the development of appropriate microorganisms in the intestine. The strength of the microbial structure in the baby’s intestine depends on the way of delivery, diet, and the variety of foods consumed by the mother. This healthy structure in the intestines is essential for the development of the immune system and for building an increased tolerance to new foods that will be taken orally. In infancy, beneficial microbiota in the intestines starts to develop healthily by breastfeeding in the first four to six months.

A comparative study between the intestinal flora of infants fed with breast milk and formula milk showed that the diversity and density of the desired microorganisms increased in a shorter time and in sufficient amount in the breastfed infants. Today, increased hygiene standards have changed the intestinal flora of infants, especially in Western societies. This, however, has increased the risk of diseases such as asthma [8].

Cytokines (a group of proteins and peptides that allow cells to communicate with each other) in breast milk also serve the development and smooth functioning of the immune system and play an important role in protecting the baby against bacterial infections, wheezing, and allergies. Human milk, especially “first milk,” was found to contain more than 20 cytokines [9]. First milk arrives in the first few hours after birth as a miraculous gift to babies when they are most vulnerable to illnesses and helps to protect against diseases. Ig A antibodies in the first milk also protect against infectious diseases that are commonly experienced in early life, besides obesity, diabetes, and allergic diseases that may come later [10].

Infants fed with ready-made foods have lower amounts and types of bacteria in their intestines than those fed with breast milk, which can consequently increase the risk of eczema and asthma. The issue of delaying foods with high allergy potential, especially when switching to supplementary foods, is still being debated. Some researchers suggest that complementary foods should not be introduced to infants up to 12 months. However, the common opinion is that positive intestinal bacteria that develops with sustained breastfeeding can reduce the risk of allergies to additional foods. Another consensus is that the transition to supplementary foods should not be earlier than six months [11].

As breast milk is the most important food for newborns, mothers should diligently endeavor to complete the suggested period of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding, if continued until the age of two and especially in the first six months, is accepted by international pediatric authorities as the cornerstone of nutrition.

Character formation and breast milk

We are physically and emotionally affected by what we eat or drink. Based on this assumption, it can be argued that breastfeeding might also have an influence on the character formation of babies [12]. Although it has been determined that intelligence and brain development are influenced by the emergence or inhibition of some genetic characters in the baby by epigenetic means, no research based on long-term observations has been conducted. In any case, it would be wise for parents to provide the best food both for themselves and their babies. Inasmuch as they make sure the food is hygienic and natural, they should also be cautious that it is obtained through legitimate means. If, for any reason, the mother’s milk is not enough or is suspended, a milk-mother with necessary qualities may be contracted.

Breastfeeding for two years is prescribed in the Qur’an: “Mothers are to suckle their children for two complete years” (2:233). “We have enjoined on human in respect with his parents: his mother bore him in strain upon strain, and his weaning was in two years” (31:14). Likewise, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, speaking about his son Ibrahim, who died before he could turn two, said, “He has a milk-mother in Paradise, she will suckle him for his remaining milk, (will complete the term of two years).” (Muslim, Fadail, 63, 2316)

References

1. The inherited and non-genetic changes which occur in the disclosure of genetic information i.e. gene expression, without any no change to the structure of DNA.
2. Ballard O, Morrow AL: Human milk composition: nutrients and bioactive factors. Pediatr Clin North Am, 2013; 60: 49–74.
3. World Health Organization Recommendations on Postnatal Care of the Mother and Newborn. Geneva, WHO, 2013.
4. Matheson M, Allen KJ, Tang MLK: Understanding the evidence for and against the role of breastfeeding in allergy prevention. Clin Exp Allergy, 2012; 42: 827–851.
5. Ding G, Ji R, Bao Y: Risk and protective factors for the development of childhood asthma. Paediatr Resp Rev, 2015; 16: 133–139.
6. Oddy WH, de Klerk NH, Sly PD, Holt PG: The effects of respiratory infections, atopy and breastfeeding on childhood asthma. Eur Respir J, 2002; 19: 899–905.
7. Scholtens S, Wijga AH, Brunekreef B, Kerkhof M, Hoekstra MO, Gerritsen J et al..: Breastfeeding, parental allergy and asthma in children followed for eight years: the PIAMA
8. birth cohort study. Thorax 2009; 64: 604–609.
9. Adlerberth I, Wold AE: Establishment of the gut microbiota in Western infants. Acta Paediatr, 2009; 98: 229–238.
10. Goldman AS, Rudloff HE: Are cytokines in human milk? Adv Exp Med Biol, 1991; 310: 93–97.
11. World Health Organization Recommendations on Postnatal Care of the Mother and Newborn. Geneva, WHO, 2013.
12. World Health Organization: Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Geneva, 2003.
13. Ibrahim Canan, Peygamber’in Sunnetinde Terbiye, Istanbul: Isik Yayinlari, 2014, pp. 95.

The newborn babies who are fed with infant formulas are becoming sick more frequently and are four times more prone to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) as compared to babies who are breast-fed. The statistical analyses made in the US have shown that, if fed solely by breast milk instead of infant formulas, deaths of at least 9000 infants will be prevented annually. A vitally important feature of the breast milk is that its contents are being dynamically and precisely formulated in direct proportion to the development and as per the needs of the baby, whereas baby foods and formulas do not have such a feature. The taurine amino acid, which is vital for the development of the brain and eye, are abundantly available in the breast milk.

The breast milk, which is recommended to breast-feed for up to two years, is special because of its various aspects: it has a unique chemical composition; the lightly yellow-colored alkaline milk (colostrum) generated right after giving birth is very helpful in protecting the newborns from infections and diseases; mammary (milk) glands operate on a very fine time adjustment and they have a perfect developmental coordination; its prevention against lymphoma, which is a kind of cancer, and its feature of leading cancerous cells to programmed cell death (apoptosis); adjustment of the quantities of minerals and trace elements in milk-generating cells of the mother in accordance with the needs of and in proportion to the growth of the infant; breast-feeding has positive effect on the infant’s IQ development.

Nevertheless, newly conducted researches have been yielding fresh findings and new wisdoms (truths) regarding the breast milk.

The tens of researches conducted on the breast milk till now have all indicated and proved that breast-feeding for a period of 7 to 12 months will positively add to the healthy development of infants’ bodily organs along with their IQ development. There are a number of different factors which contribute to infants’ IQ development and breast-feeding is just an important one among them. The positive contributions of breast-feeding to an infant’s IQ development may be better observed if the infant is raised within a genetically and environmentally healthy medium.

A steady brain development and its positive contribution to an infant’s IQ are related to the molecules such as Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Omega-3 fatty acid, Arachidonic acid (AA), Cholesterol and Taurine Amino Acid that are sufficiently found in the breast milk. The breast milk is even more useful for a healthy development of the infant’s social intelligence. According to IQ measurements, the IQs of children who have been breast-fed for periods of 7 to 9 months are found to be 6 points higher than those who have been breast-fed for less than a month.

A mother becomes like an innately secure shelter for the infant during breast-feeding as the secretion of the oxytocin hormone in the mother’s mammary glands is increased during her physical touch to the baby. Though motherly love and compassion are immaterial sentiments, a corporeal hormone is deemed a contributor to the attachment of love between mother and child. Breast milk is also rich in cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that acts as somniferous both in the mother and the infant. Thus, breast-fed infants more easily sink into sleep and this favorably contributes to infants’ healthy growth while enabling mothers to take rest. Mothers who are complaining that their children are not easily sinking into sleep can thus try to breast-feed them more frequently and for longer durations.

Breast milk versus allergens

Parallel to babies’ development, their foods also diversify. In order for foods other than breast milk given to the infant for the first time not to cause any sort of allergic reaction, that foodstuff should not be recognized as strange and unfamiliar, and this depends on the degree of sensitivity of that infant’s immune response mechanism. Therefore, whether breast milk has any role in the baby becoming accustomed to potentially allergenic foodstuff is being researched on experimental animals. When lactoglobulin is fed to baby rats, which are highly prone to activating allergic response, together with baby food and with breast milk respectively, the one which is fed as blended with the breast milk has not caused any allergic response while the one which is fed as blended with baby food has caused powerful allergic responses (1). In conclusion, it has been proved that, not the baby foods, but only the breast milk plays an important role in activating an immune response in babies.

It has also been found that, in order to ensure healthy intestinal development in newborn babies, only breast milk should be provided in the early stages after birth. As breast milk forms a protective shield against bacteria and viruses, it eliminates the need for response activation of the immune system during the early stages following birth. Moreover, breast milk also causes growth of Lactobacillus bifidus in the newborn’s intestines which prevent formation of pathogenic bacteria. The oligosaccharides in the breast milk are favorable stimulants for growth of Lactobacillus bifidus and also function as adhesive molecules. A resemblance of lock and key model has been observed between the oligosaccharides of the breast milk and the carbohydrates over the epithelial cells of the intestines. This implies that oligosaccharides of the breast milk function as free-floating receptors over the pathogenic microorganisms of various nature. They prevent adsorption of microbes over epithelial cells of the intestines and hence form a preventive shield against infections.

Oligosaccharides and Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)

The enterecolitis which causes necrosis is a most widespread and fatal intestinal disease, being observed at a rate of 85% in premature babies. Insufficiency of oxygen in epithelial cells of the intestines due to various factors is an important reason for its happening. Insufficiency of oxygen in the intestines deforms the healthy functioning of epithelial cells bringing the medium susceptible for infections due to which the necrosis beginning on mucosa membrane of the intestines may develop down to the depth of the intestines’ innermost layer. Roughly 10-26% of all the infant deaths being observed in the newborn intensive care units of US hospitals are occurring due to Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). This happens very rarely in infants who are breast-fed.

A series of controlled researches have been conducted on baby rats for the purpose of understanding the causes of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). These baby rats have been sorted out in three separate groups as the ones fed only by breast milk, the ones fed only by baby food and the ones fed by baby food blended with oligosaccharides of breast milk. Animals in all three groups have been exposed to hypoxia (deprivation of adequate oxygen supply) for three consecutive days and their intestinal tissues have been analyzed at the end of the fourth day.

It has been observed that, while symptoms of enterecolitis in intestines of those fed solely by breast milk were the least, and in intestines of the ones fed by baby food blended with oligosaccharides of breast milk were relatively low, but in intestines of those fed only by baby food were extremely high. Medical reports too indicate that Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is quite rare in breast-fed babies for the oligosaccharides of breast milk prevent formation of this disease. What is amazing is that the oligosaccharides and the complex glycans which play preventive roles against infections are abundantly available in breast milk whereas they are not found in baby foods (2). Although galacto-oligosaccharides which are similar to oligosaccharides of the breast milk are being added into most baby foods, they have not served as preventive against necrotizing enterocolitis. Molecular researches are presently being conducted as to how oligosaccharides of breast milk do function in favor of prevention (2).

It has also been verified by researches that breast-feeding of the infants is having favorable effects on their development of a sense of taste and on likes and dislikes of foods during their childhood years. In a recently conducted research, sour, sweet, mildly sour, salty, bitter and tasteless foods have been given to infants who are being breast-fed, cow milk-fed and baby food-fed and their reactions to these foods have been observed and evaluated. Those who were fed by baby food made a lesser grimace and also preferred more soury and bitter foods (12). When these babies were later offered normal foods, they replied only for the tastes of foods which were similar to the foods they were previously given. Moreover, their facial expressions were lesser and insufficient in terms of differentiation of unpleasant tastes. Basically, the contents of baby foods and nutrients affect children’s future responses to those foods and nutrients and their taste perception ranges (3).

Breast milk conduces to expression of differing genes in infant’s intestines

A reply to discussions on “whether breast milk or readymade baby foods” is given by researchers of the University of Illinois. Of the 22 healthy infants, the researchers fed 12 with breast milk and 10 with readymade baby food for a certain period of time and later analyzed the messenger RNAs (mRNA) in the intestine cells collected from their stools. These mRNAs have been exposed to a number of molecular tests, being later analyzed and compared. The results have disclosed that gene groups different from each other were being activated in intestines of the infants who were being fed by breast milk and baby foods. Genes of intestines that were expressed differently as foods of infants were diversified (4). Moreover, such a different reading, that is, revealing of the genes’ potential was not limited to only a couple of genes. Contents of baby foods and nutrients have been influential on the expression of hundreds of genes. The most striking outcome was that, while the data encoded by the gene that was assigned for revealing response of the genes being exposed to hypoxia (deprivation of adequate oxygen supply) was properly expressed and activated in infants who were fed by breast milk, the data encoded by such genes of the infants who were fed by baby foods was not being described and read. Thus, the probability of developing of enterecolitis (inflammation of the intestines) due to hypoxia (deprivation of adequate oxygen supply) was increasing. It has been understood that preference of feeding the newborns with either breast milk or baby foods plays a significant role in disclosing the data of about 140 genes which stimulate quick development of their intestinal and immune systems. In other words, the genes which are assigned for preservation of the immune system and thus for strengthening the infants against diseases are being easily expressed in the intestines of infants fed by breast milk but not of the ones fed by baby foods (4).

Finally, it is vitally important to feed the infants in hospitals’ newborn units more with breast milk in order to stop the developing of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). It has been understood that reading and suppression of the genes which are assigned for arrangement of particularly stomach-intestine functions are being arranged depending upon both development and epigenetical mechanisms as, for instance, the environmental factors that influence nutrition. This assertion shows that, while future studies will shed light on how to make ingredients of baby foods more similar to those of breast milk, it will never be substituted by any other nutrient.

Hamza Aydin is a freelance writer from Turkey with PhD degree in biology.

Notes

1. Katie L. Tooley et al. (2009). Maternal Milk, but not Formula, Regulates the Immune Response to ?-Lactoglobulin in Allergy-Prone Rat Pups. Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 139, No. 11, 2145–2151, November 2009.
2. Bode,L., Goth,K., Guner,Y. et al.(2010). Human milk oligosaccharides prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis in neonatal rats. FASEB J. 2010 24:206.3 [Meeting Abstract]
3. Mennella, J. A. Et al. (2009). Early milk feeding influences taste acceptance and liking during infancy. Am J Clin Nutr. Vol. 90, No. 3, 780S-788S.
4. Chapkin, S.R. et al. (2010). Noninvasive stool-based detection of infant gastrointestinal development using gene expression profiles from exfoliated epithelial cells. The American Journal of Physiology, Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. Volume 298, Issue 5. May 2010.

In addition to protecting the infant from life-threatening enemies, the nutrition of a newborn should be suitable for their development and appropriate for their digestive system and sensitive kidneys, which are not ready to accept any ordinary food. If it was up to the parents to design and create the necessary nutrition for babies, what would they do? Would they be able to come up with a formula that would provide the necessary nutrition, protect them from bacteria and viruses, and also be fit for their digestive system? Millions of dollars are spent on infant nutrition, but no one has come up with anything better than mother’s milk.

A diet for a newborn should include the following elements in certain proportions: water, proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins (A, and B with all its subgroups, C, D, E and K).

Water is a major necessity for the human body, being composed of mostly liquid. In the 10th week of pregnancy, 94% of an embryo is liquid, whereas 79% of a newborn is liquid. As the baby reaches its 3rd month, the total liquid in its body is 70%, while at age 1 this amount is reduced to 60%. The amount of total liquid in an adult body is about 55% of the total body-weight, and while the amount of liquid that passes through an adult body daily is about 6% of its total weight, this amount is 4 times higher (25%) in infants. Dehydration can occur very fast in babies. This is why infant nutrition should be high in water. Not surprisingly, breast milk, which pours from the fountain of compassion of the Almighty, is 90% water. Breast milk also contains solid (casein) and soluble (whey) proteins, which are essential for the growth and repair of the body. Casein in breast milk forms much softer clogs and is easier to digest compared to the casein in cow’s milk. Moreover, the whey in breast milk plays an important role in protecting the babies from infections, since it has an anti-infective property. Cow’s milk, for example, does not contain the anti-infective proteins that are essential for human babies. Since their immune system is not yet fully developed, babies are not able to fight off infections, and their defense is provided by breast milk, which acts not only as nutrition, but also as a live fluid that protects babies against infections. There is no formula or food that can replace breast milk, as it contains live macrophage and lymphocytes. (WHO-1993, UNICEF, 1993 – Nutrition–H-1OF)

In sura al-Qasas in the Qur’an we are told of the Pharaoh’s unimaginable cruelty, and how he was punished by God as an admonition. The Pharaoh had been told by a fortuneteller that a baby, a successor of the sons of Ishmael, would be born, and would bring his kingdom to an end. Frightened by this prediction, the Pharaoh commanded that all newborns in the country be killed. At the time, Moses’ mother was pregnant with him. As she gave birth to Moses, her only worry was to protect him from the Pharaoh’s soldiers. At this moment she was guided by divine inspiration: 

Suckle (your child), but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear nor grieve; surely We will bring him back to you and make him one of Our Messengers. (Qasas 28:7)

“Suckle (your child),” or in other words, “breastfeed him,” were God’s words to a mother whose only worry was saving her baby’s life. If one reads the verses preceding and following the above verse carefully, it is clear that the main idea in the verse is to protect the baby. Now, why would such a verse advise the mother to breastfeed? It is because the Pharaoh’s soldiers were not the only threat to the baby. After years of medical research, we now know that an infant’s immune system has not yet developed, and therefore they need to be protected against bacteria and viruses, which in Moses’ story were a more immediate threat to the baby than the Pharaoh. It is certain that the baby would be exposed to bacteria and viruses before the Pharaoh’s soldiers found him. Being under such a great anxiety, a mother might not be able to take good care of cleaning and feeding her baby, which would increase the risk of infection to the baby. For this very reason, God advised Moses’ mother to breastfeed the baby first. It is God Who creates and provides breast milk through the mothers’ body, and He certainly knows that not only is it a source of food and nutrition, but that it also helps to protect the baby against infections. God may, of course, choose to provide direct protection, without requiring breast milk, but then, living in a world of cause and effect, we are reminded of the perfect balance of this universe.

A breastfeeding mother should be free of anxiety and stress, as these will negatively affect the mother’s milk production. (WHO-1993, UNICEF, 1993 – Nutrition–H-1OF) The Qur’an, after advising breastfeeding, continues to comfort the mother “. . . when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear nor grieve; surely We will bring him back to you and make him one of Our Messengers.” Breastfeeding mothers have high levels of prolactin in their boies. As well as stimulating milk production, this hormone also functions as an anti-depressant for the mother. In this context, it is very significant that the mother is advised to breastfeed. It is incredible that a verse that is nearly 1400 years old is perfectly in accordance with the results of 30-years of research on breast milk.

Lactose-another ingredient in breast milk-is a kind of carbohydrate that is suitable for the digestive system of babies. Its slow digestion balances the sugar levels in the baby’s body. Lactose also increases the absorption of calcium. Together with some fat molecules, galactose-a type of molecule found in lactose-forms compounds that are essential for the development of the brain in infants. It also plays a role in the increase of a bacterium called “lactobacillius bifidus” found in the infant’s intestine. These harmless bacteria form the intestinal flora, which eventually protects them from diarrhea. In premature babies, more than 90% of lactose in breast milk is transmitted to the blood through mucous in the intestines after breast feeding. This preventive care can neither be provided by the mother nor is it initiated through the desire or ability of the baby. In addition to having so many benefits for babies, another positive aspect of lactose is that the amount found in breast milk is not affected by the mother’s diet.

There are more than 100 types of sugar, known as Oligosaccharides, found in breast milk. Oligosaccharides and other anti-infective elements in the intestines prevent harmful microorganisms from holding on to the intestines by clinging to them.

Babies get most of the energy they need from the fats found in breast milk, which are easily absorbed in the baby’s intestines. The fat ratio in the breast milk increases at the end of the breast feeding session; this gives the baby a feeling of fullness and prevents overfeeding. In this way, babies are also protected against obesity and other connected health risks that may occur in the future, including heart and vessel diseases, hypertension, diabetes, etc.

The mother’s diet does not affect the quantity or quality of minerals found in breast milk. Breast milk provides as much minerals as the baby needs, using the mineral stocks of the mother. It also contains all the necessary vitamins for the baby’s first month, as well as growth factors, enzymes, and ten other hormones, whose benefits are still unknown.

Breast milk in mothers who give birth to a premature baby is different than regular breast milk; this helps to satisfy the unique needs of a premature baby. In the first few weeks after the birth of a premature baby, the amount of protein in the mother’s breast milk is higher in comparison to that of a mother who delivered full term. A premature baby needs 2 grams of protein per one kilogram of its body weight daily, twice the amount needed by a full term baby. Also the protein quality (casein/whey ratio) of breast milk for a mother who gave birth to an underweight baby is adjusted accordingly: 30% of casein and 70% of whey protein. The fat in breast milk provides 50% of the total calories, which is the ideal combination for underweight babies. The digestion and absorption of this fat, the types of fatty acids, and the distribution of these acids over the triglyceride molecules are perfect.

It is well known that breastfed premature babies have better visual ability, and that long-chained fatty acids, carotene, taurine and vitamin E-all of which are contained in breast milk in perfect ratios-play an important role in visual ability.

The First Two Years of Life and Breastfeeding

One liter of breast milk alone provides 2/3 of all the protein and all of the vitamin A and C an infant needs up to the second year. If a baby can get 1.5 liters of breast milk daily, they will be provided with most of the nutrition they need. This is why breast feeding should continue through to the end of the second year, if possible.

The true value of breast milk has only recently been discovered. In the 1960s, a massive advertising campaign for baby formula was able to “discover” almost every day another element that existed in formula, but was lacking in breast milk. This was broadcast via television, especially in the US. As a result of these scientific (!) findings, mothers were alienated from breast feeding and a formula generation was born, all in the name of “science.”

In 1980, breast milk was recommended for only the first four months of life. It was claimed that after four months, breast milk did not have any nutritional value and was just like water for the baby. In 1986, breast milk was recommended for the first six months. And finally, starting from 1993, breast milk was recommended for the first two years, after it was discovered that even during the second year, breast milk still provides most of the necessary nutrition for infants. A verse from the Qur’an says: 

And the mothers should suckle their children for two whole years for him who desires to make complete the time of suckling; and their maintenance and their clothing must be borne by the father on equitable terms. No soul shall have imposed upon it a duty but to the extent of its capacity; neither shall a mother be made to suffer harm on account of her child, nor a father on account of his child, and a similar duty (devolves) on the (father’s) heir, but if both desire weaning by mutual consent and counsel, there is no blame on them. (Baqara 2:233)

Medical researches have just discovered within the last 10 years that breast feeding should continue for two years, yet the Qur’an has been giving us the same advice for 14 centuries. If one is rational, one must agree that no one else but God could have known this so many years ago. And who else could possibly have provided us with such information, information that it would have been impossible to discover with the limited science and medical research of the 7th century?

Cancer is a major cause of illness and death in developed countries. The risk of death from cancer has also been increasing in the less developed countries. As improvements in medical care have reduced deaths from infectious diseases and increased life expectancy, cancer has become the leading cause of death in many societies. For example, according to the American Cancer Society, about one in three people in the USA will develop cancer at some point in their life, and about one in four will die from it. Each year about 500,000 individuals die of cancer, a rate of about one death per minute, and more than one million new cases of cancer are diagnosed annually in the US. Currently more than 10 million individuals are receiving medical treatment for cancer in US hospitals and medical centres.

What are the causes of cancer?

Scientific evidence gathered over the last hundred years has dispelled the superstition, once prevalent, that cancer is a contagious disease. But, despite significant advances in the last decade, its underlying mechanisms are still a mystery.

The link between cancer and genetic mutation was shown early in this century: normal cells mutate into malignant ones because of changes in chromosome constitution.

There are four points which support the idea that cancer has a genetic origin:

1. More than 50 forms of cancer are known to be inherited to one degree or another
2. Some tests detecting mutations have shown that most environmental toxic agents which are called carcinogens are also mutagens.
3. Work with cancer-associated viruses has revealed the presence of some mutant genes, known as oncogenes, that promote and maintain tumour growth.
4. The chromosomal abnormalities found in particular forms of cancer, especially leukemia.
5. The environment and behaviour can also play a significant role in the genesis of cancer.

The existence of high rates of specific cancers in particular families has been known since early in the 19th century. Many explanations have been offered for this phenomenon, including multiple gene inheritance, environmental agents or even mere chance.

Hereditary forms of cancer

Recent advances in cancer research have provided some clues about the relationship between mutant genes and the cellular events that lead to tumour formation. Experimental evidence suggests that as few as two mutational events may be sufficient to cause a cell to become cancerous (see Figure I). In those forms of cancer that show a heritable predisposition, the first mutation is present in the germ cells and is transmitted genetically. The second mutations are acquired by somatic cells through spontaneous replication errors or exposure to environmental agents that cause genetic damage, resulting in cancer. On the other hand, not all individuals who inherit the first mutation will develop cancer.

If the second mutational event does not occur, then no tumour will develop. Research has focused particularly on two classes of genes in carcinogenesis: tumour suppressor genes which normally function to suppress cell division, and proto-oncogenes which normally promote cell division. 

Tumour suppressor genes

Tumour suppressors are detected in the form of chromosomal deletions (or other inactivating mutations) that are tumorigenic. The strongest evidence for their nature is provided by certain hereditary cancers. There is also now evidence that changes in these genes may be associated with the progression of a wide range of cancers. About 10 tumour suppressors are known at present. These genes act at certain points to inhibit cell division. These and or their gene products must be absent or inactive for normal cell division to take place. If tumour suppressor genes become deleted or inactivated by mutation, control over cell division is lost, and the cell can proliferate in unchecked fashion. The example of breast cancer illustrates how mutations in tumour suppressor genes are involved in the development of cancer:

The genetic link to breast cancer

In the USA, the ratio of women getting breast cancer is approximately 1 in 8. It is the most common form of cancer in women: 46,000 women die and 182,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Epidemiological factors may also be involved in breast cancer, but geneticists have focused on the question – Is there a genetic predisposition to breast cancer? Their answer, for the present, is Yes: though involved in only about 5% of all eases, a particular gene has been identified and located on chromosome 17. It is responsible for susceptibility to a form of breast cancer that appears in the third and fourth decades of life. About one in 200 females inherits this gene, and 80% to 90% of these will develop breast cancer. Besides breast cancer, a gene has been found on chromosome 17 in sufferers from astrocitoma (brain tumours), colon, lung and bone cancers. This finding suggests that there is a mutation on this gene (called p53), and as a result the cells start growing abnormally.

The Future

Investigations into the tumour suppressor genes are an example of the recent progress in molecular aspects of cancer research. A better understanding of molecular carcinogenesis and molecular epidemiology will eventually decrease the quantitative and qualitative uncertainties associated with the current state of cancer risk assessment. It may be possible to immunize patients against their tumours by using these findings about genes-cancer relationships. Indeed, determination of the type and number of mutations in p53 and other cancer-related genes in tissues from ‘healthy’ individuals may allow the identification of those at increased cancer risk and their consequent protection by preventive measures.

Although there have been many and most welcome developments in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, including cancer, there is a definite and reliably cure only for some of the infectious diseases. However, we firmly believe there are definite remedies for all diseases in the universe except death.

References

• HARRIS, ADRIAN L. (1990) ‘Mutant p53-The commonest genetic abnormality in Human Cancer?’ The Journal of Pathology.
• HARRIS, CURTIS C. (1993) ‘p53: At the Cross-roads of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Risk Assessment’, Science, 262.
• CUMMINGS, M. (1994) Human Heredity, West Publishing Company, St Paul. Lewm, B. (1994) Genes 5, Oxford University Press, New York.
• LEWIN, B. (1994) Genes 5, Oxford University Press, New York.

Mothers shall suckle children for two whole years, for those who desire to complete the suckling. It is for the father to provide for them and clothe them honourably. No soul is charged save to its capacity: no woman should suffer because of her child, nor any man because of his. The same responsibilities are incumbent on the heir. But if (the couple) decide by mutual consent to wean (the child), there is no blame on them. And if you desire to seek nursing for your children (by hiring a foster mother), there is no blame on you provided you pay her fairly. Fear God, and know that God sees everything you do (Qur’an, 2.205).

Breast-feeding is extremely important for the mother’s own health, as well as that of her baby. The propaganda in the sixties and seventies of some materialistic physicians in cahoots with baby-food manufacturers tried to throw doubt on the value of breast-feeding and to present it, especially in ‘Third World’ countries, as something second-best, unsophisticated. More recently, however, the scientific community has been forced to recognize the irreplaceable value of the mother’s milk, compared to any artificial product, and the World Health Organisation has banned all negative propaganda directed against it.

In what follows, I shall try to answer, from a scientific standpoint, these three questions:

1) What does mother’s milk impart to the baby?

2)What should be the frequency and duration of nursing?

3) What effect does nursing have on the mother?

1- The nature of mother’s milk

For nourishment human beings need the three basic foods, and phosphorous and vitamins. All of these substances, namely proteins, sugar, fats, phosphorous and vitamins, are present in the mother’s milk. The special worth of breast milk, however, lies rather in the fact that it contains these substances in very subtly tuned proportions, and the most important secret of its composition is that fatty molecules are dispersed within it in very fine, small particles.

The mother’s own breast milk is prepared more richly than the table of a tycoon. To begin with, the entire vitamin requirement of the baby is present in it for the first six months. Properly informed science can only be amused at the sight of over-anxious parents rushing about with a fruit press in their hands in an effort to provide baby with Vitamin C.

Secondly, there are antibodies in the mother’s milk during the first six months that protect the baby against all infectious diseases. There are even antibodies protecting against measles in the milk of a mother who has never contracted measles, an inexplicable fact in biological terms. This can only be a divine indication of the value God places on the well being of His creatures.

Certain atheistic scientists have put forward an absurd claim that breast milk is deficient in iron. It has been established in recent years, however, that in adults blood is produced in the bone marrow, whereas in babies it is produced in the liver. Iron is stored in the baby’s liver even while it is in the mother’s womb. Attempts to compensate for this supposed deficiency by medicines containing iron may condemn babies to a lifetime of enteritis.

It is a biological imperative that the baby be nursed on breast milk during the first six months, since the liver, normally the centre of digestive activities, is largely occupied with blood production in babies. Furthermore, the baby uses nutrition for the purposes of growth and development rather than energy. For this reason, it is next to impossible to select and balance the required food types and vitamins. We know that there are more than 50 vitamins in addition to the handful known to medicine. The growth and development of the baby is, through the perfect balance of breast milk, brought under perfect control by Divine Omnipotence. To attempt to imitate this divinely managed blessing with imperfect human imitations of it is both arrogant and ridiculous.

2- Intervals and duration of breast feeding

Another burden atheists have put on breast-feeding is the rule of feeding every four hours, which they have invented by analogy with the normal period of digestion. Recent research has shown that milk is completely digested in 45 minutes. When this period is over, the secretion of milk in the mother’s mummeries increases by a telepathic reflex, and the baby normally begins to cry due to hunger. All these events constitute a biological computer system, and if the feeding periods do not correspond, the baby’s stomach is filled with acid, seriously disrupting its digestive system. It has even been conjectured that this may contribute to ulcers in later life.

Regarding the duration of breast-feeding, modem medicine has imposed a wholly arbitrary period, namely nine months. But the basic logic of suckling is based on two facts:

a) The liver is heavily loaded because it is producing blood, and hence there is a need for milk. It takes about two full years for the liver to recede into the background as regards blood production. For this reason, breast-feeding should last two years.

b) The most important phase of development, the period when basic biological materials are required, is again two years. Medical science definitely recognizes that the first two years of development of the baby are the most significant phase.

Another miracle of the Qur’an’s wisdom is that it specified this period, although, before Islam, the practice in the societies in the Middle East was to breast-feed for four to five years.

A final point in regard to the length of the breast-feeding period: Research on childhood mental disorders has shown that an infant needs to be breast-fed for about two years for mental health to be robust. A study done on a global scale revealed that no child in Indonesia and the Philippines suffered mental problems, and the research committee found that this was due to the sense of security and tenderness imparted to the baby during two years of breast- feeding in those countries.

3-The benefits for the mother

a) The healthy functioning of the mammary glands:

Health statistics gathered world-wide have shown that cancer of the breast occurs seldom in mothers who breast-feed their infants for one or two-years. Mothers who do not do so, on the other hand, run the greatest risk of contracting this disease. If only for this reason, a one or two-year nursing period should be commended as a cancer preventive.

b) Biological regeneration occurring in the mother’s body during nursing:

The liver functions at full capacity in a mother who breast- feeds. All the chemical problems of the mother’s body come under scrutiny in this way. Further, since all the required substances have to be mixed into the maternal blood, the mother’s cells compensate for their deficiencies during nursing. Again, since the pituitary gland is in full control during nursing, the general hormone processes all function properly, and hence the psychological makeup of the mother is vastly improved. This harmony in the hormone balance of nursing mothers and the period of calm it imposes on the psychological structure is a priceless gift. You may have noted that despite being physically tired, nursing mothers are never ill-tempered. The reason for this is the harmonization of glandular secretions during breast-feeding.

Again thanks to this hormonal balance, the womb and ovaries of the nursing mother are also afforded a period of rest. Although this period is not equal to the nursing period, a repose of two to six months is a very valuable rest in terms of the mother’s sex organs. In the meantime, simple disorders of the womb and ovaries are also cured. Two years is, again, the ideal duration of the nursing period for these benefits to fully manifest themselves.

In sum, the disparagement of mother’s milk and of breast feeding generally by proponents of an atheistic modern medicine must rank as one of the most shameful stains on the history of medicine. Biologically and psychologically, the health of both mother and baby is greatly improved by breast feeding for, ideally, up to two years. Independent scientific studies have confirmed that this is so. We should not be surprised that they have done so. For who would know better what is best for the well-being of mankind than the One who created us?