BREASTFEEDING REDUCES RISK OF ASTHMA

It appears that we can add a reduced asthma risk to the growing list of benefits of breast feeding. A recent Australian study strongly suggests a decreased incidence of asthma in babies breast fed for at least 4 months.

The study involved 2,602 infants and followed their asthma-related health for 6 years. An important outcome of this study suggests that infants born to mothers with a history of asthma were also more likely protected. This is good news in that there is a known increased risk for asthma in infants whose mothers have the disease.

“Given our findings, we continue to recommend that infants with or without a maternal history of asthma be exclusively breastfed for 4 months and beyond,” the researchers conclude.