Does Breastfeeding Protect Against Allergic Diseases?

A new study from the United Kingdom shows that children who are breastfed are less likely to develop asthma and other allergic diseases than those who are not breastfed. Dr. Mohammad Shamssain of the University of Sunderland, the lead researcher on this study states that “breastfeeding can be recommended for protection against allergic disorders." He also points out that “[Judging from our research] breastfed children showed lower prevalence rates of asthma, rhinitis and eczema, and the effect of breastfeeding was more evident in boys than girls.”

The research focused on 5000 school children between the ages of 5 and 15 years. They found that only 14 percent of the children who were breastfed had ever suffered from asthma compared to 24 percent of those who were not breastfed. In addition, only 13 percent of the children who were breastfed had ever suffered from hayfever and only 20 percent had ever suffered from eczema, compared to 21 percent and 35 percent, respectively, of the children who had never been breastfed.

The study took family history of allergic disorders and other risk factors into consideration and concluded that being breastfed for at least 5 months was associated with a 46 percent reduced risk of asthma, a 75 percent reduced risk of runny nose and a 65 percent reduced risk of eczema. Dr. Shamssain concludes, “Our research demonstrates that exclusive breastfeeding prevents the development of allergic diseases in children.”