Babies are less likely to develop infections of the lungs or gut, if they are exclusively breastfed for at least 6 months.
Babies are less likely to develop infections of the lungs or gut, if they are exclusively breastfed for at least 6 months.
To examine the effect of exclusive breastfeeding on infections of the lungs and gut in infants, researchers analysed health data on 4,146 Dutch infants born in Rotterdam between 2002 and 2006. The researchers used questionnaires to asses whether the babies were breast fed, and until what age; whether they were given other foods and at what age, and whether they were treated for any common infections such as serious colds, ear or throat infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, or stomach flu.
In the first 6 months of life, nearly half of all the infants had a respiratory tract infection and nearly 10 percent had a gastrointestinal infection. Between 7 months and a year, 40 percent of the infants had a respiratory tract infection and 9 percent had a stomach bug. In the first 6 months, exclusive breastfeeding cut the risk of respiratory tract infections by about two-thirds, while exclusive breastfeeding for 4 months cut the risk by one third to a half. Exclusive breastfeeding - whether 4 or 6 months - appeared to have a less dramatic effect in reducing the risk of developing gastrointestinal infections, especially in the second half of the first year.
The researchers analysed data from a large population of children, adjusting for factors that could have an impact on infection rates such as family history of asthma, mite allergies, and smoking in the household.
These findings also support the World Health Organization's recommendation that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months.
To examine the effect of exclusive breastfeeding on infections of the lungs and gut in infants, researchers analysed health data on 4,146 Dutch infants born in Rotterdam between 2002 and 2006. The researchers used questionnaires to asses whether the babies were breast fed, and until what age; whether they were given other foods and at what age, and whether they were treated for any common infections such as serious colds, ear or throat infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, or stomach flu.
In the first 6 months of life, nearly half of all the infants had a respiratory tract infection and nearly 10 percent had a gastrointestinal infection. Between 7 months and a year, 40 percent of the infants had a respiratory tract infection and 9 percent had a stomach bug. In the first 6 months, exclusive breastfeeding cut the risk of respiratory tract infections by about two-thirds, while exclusive breastfeeding for 4 months cut the risk by one third to a half. Exclusive breastfeeding - whether 4 or 6 months - appeared to have a less dramatic effect in reducing the risk of developing gastrointestinal infections, especially in the second half of the first year.
The researchers analysed data from a large population of children, adjusting for factors that could have an impact on infection rates such as family history of asthma, mite allergies, and smoking in the household.
These findings also support the World Health Organization's recommendation that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months.
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