Occurrence of Lactobacillus reuteri in human breast milk

Abstract

The nature and role of human milk microbiota in the early colonization and protection of infants from infection is the subject of increasing research. This study investigated the occurrence of Lactobacillus reuteri in milk of nursing mothers living in rural or urban areas in different geographical locations. Breast milk samples were collected from 220 mothers, 6-32 days after delivery, and analysed for the presence of total lactobacilli and L. reuteri. In all, 50% of mothers from rural areas in Japan and Sweden were L. reuteri-positive, whereas mothers from urban areas in South Africa, Israel and Denmark had very low or non-detectable levels. Overall, 15% of mothers had detectable L. reuteri in their milk. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of total Lactobacillus or L. reuteri in women from rural and urban habitats in the participating countries. © 2008 Informa UK Ltd.