Over 2,700 Canadian mothers and infants were involved in a study that shows babies who are breastfed longer are less likely to wheeze or develop asthma later.
This protective effect has especially become clear for infants whose mothers have asthma.
The study which was published in the European Respiratory Journal stated that at three months, wheezing was reduced by 26% in infants who were exclusively breastfed compared to those who were not.
At both six months and one year babies who were still being breastfed showed a 33% reduced rate of wheezing in comparison to those who had stopped being breastfed before six months.
Lead author Dr. Meghan Azad who is an assistant professor in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the U of M and research scientist at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba stated in a news release, “For babies who are at high risk for developing asthma because their mothers have the condition, breastfeeding was especially beneficial... Among these high-risk babies, those who were exclusively breastfed for six months had a 62% reduced rate of wheezing compared to those who were not breastfed—which is very significant.”
Azad has done local studies with information from over 3,500 mothers and children that also support these findings.
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months for optimal infant growth and development, yet there is evidence emerging now that earlier introduction of certain complementary foods may reduce the risk of allergic disease as well.
“We found that the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding were diminished by supplementation with infant formula before six months of age, but not by the introduction of complementary foods,” stated Dr. Azad. “This was an interesting result that may help to inform infant feeding guidelines and guide further research on the bioactive properties of human milk... Given the substantial health and economic burden imposed by infant wheezing and the potential for these children to develop asthma down the road, our results support the endorsement of breastfeeding as a cost-effective strategy to prevent infant wheezing and promote lifelong respiratory health."
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