Breastfeeding May Delay Or Prevent Atopic Disease

The recently revised AAP clinical report, "Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease In Infants and Children: The Role of Maternal Dietary Restriction, Breastfeeding, Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods, and Hydrolyzed Formulas," states that atopic dermatitis, asthma, and/or food allergy may possibly be delayed or prevented in high-risk infants if they are breastfed for at least four months. In this case, "high-risk" infants are defined as those with at least one parent or sibling with atopic disease.

This report may come as a frustration to many moms who are trying to make sense of the asthma and allergy debate. Only two months ago, research revealed that breastfeeding did not reduce the risk for allergies and asthma, yet one month later, a report stated that breastfeeding decreased the risk for food allergies. So, what do we make of all of these studies? The consensus shows that breastfeeding is still the best choice to protect your baby and to prevent illness. If you ever have any questions or concerns about these reports, get in touch with a Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She'll help you to make sense of it all.