The understanding of the immunobiology of human milk is primarily a 20th-century phenomenon, but, even with our contemporary understanding, it remains a bit of a mystery. Breastfeeding of human milk, although the most obvious and natural form of nutrition for human infants, has been hindered by cultural and societal norms since ancient times. Thus, not all infants have experienced the advantages this form of nutrition may offer. Although these advantages have been anecdotally suggested since ancient times, it was only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that the superiority of human milk was scientifically documented. The underlying immunobiological properties of human milk underpinning its observed superiority only became appreciated with advances in immunology that occurred in the mid to late 20th century. Armond S. Goldman (1930–2023) was in the vanguard of those promoting and developing an understanding of the immunobiology of human milk and its superiority in promoting the health of human infants.
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