Breastfeeding has many benefits that include protecting the baby
against inflammatory diseases of the
gut, lungs or ears, and longer term health
problems such as diabetes and obesity, improved cognitive outcomes, and protecting the mother
against breast cancer.
Cadwell says this suggests the virus helps protect
against infectious and non-infectious
gut problems when bacteria aren't around to act as a defence (Nature, DOI: 10.1038 / nature13960).