Smoking Reduces Breastfeeding Protection Against Allergies

I'm not one to preach about the ill-effects of smoking, but I do feel obliged to bring facts to the forefront about the relationship between smoking and breastfeeding. It's rare that I get phone calls from smoking moms, but in the few that I have had, I've focused much more on secondhand smoke issues and potential milk supply problems. And now I have another concern to add to my list...smoking may cancel out the protective effect of breastfeeding against allergies and asthma

Research has shown that babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life are 70% less likely to develop asthma or allergies by the age of 5 years than those who are not breastfed. However, babies who are exclusively breastfed for the same period of time, but who have a mother who smokes, are equally as likely to develop asthma and allergies as those babies who are not breastfed. It probably goes without saying that the researchers therefore recommend new mothers "to avoid smoking and not to restrict breastfeeding". If you are a smoker and plan to breastfeed, check out About's Smoking Cessation site to help you along in the process.