By now, you’ve probably seen the photos — a series of Petri dishes filled with breast milk and bacteria, labeled with black marker and orange tags.
But do you know the science behind the picture?
The photo was posted by Vicky Greene, a UK first-year biosciences student at South Devon College who is also a mother of three. She is examining the antibacterial properties of breast milk based on the nursing child’s age.
“The first sample (BmA) is from a mother feeding a 15 month old and the second (BmB) is from a mother feeding a 3 year old,” Greene wrote on Facebook. “The white spots in the middle are discs soaked in two samples of breastmilk. See the clear bit around the discs — that’s where the proteins in the milk have inhibited the bacteria! I’m so excited … the future is bright, the future is breast milk.”
According to Greene, proteins in the breast milk samples slowed the growth of disease-causing bacteria like E. coli and Micrococcus luteus. The proteins also put up a tough fight again MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant form of staph bacteria.
Why Is This Significant?
Greene’s research is still in its early stages but she is excited about the results so far.
“I have had doctors and nurses tell me that feeding past a year is completely pointless from a healthcare perspective,” Greene told the Huffington Post. “What I hope to raise awareness for is that extended breastfeeding isn’t useless.”
Greene, whose children are 13, 10 and 3, is still breastfeeding her youngest child and said that she has felt judged for nursing a toddler. She’s hoping that her research will prove that the health benefits of the practice are far reaching.
“There is a massive stigma surrounding breastfeeding an older child, and there shouldn’t be,” Greene told the Huffington Post, adding that she wants to inspire people to consider breastfeeding a little bit longer.
Greene’s photo got 28,000 likes, 26,000 shares and more than 4,000 comments.
