Breastfeeding can literally make it easier for your baby to breathe. That’s what new research shows: The longer an infant is fed exclusively breast milk, the lower his or her risk of developing asthma Black Health TV.
“Breastfeeding for at least six months was the best protection, but it’s likely that shorter breastfeeding periods also provide some protection against asthma,” said study author Keadrea Wilson, M.D., assistant professor of neonatology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about six months, followed by continued breastfeeding when foods are introduced for a year or longer, because of the long list of potential health benefits associated with breastfeeding.
“In addition to nutrients, breastfeeding contains many factors that can influence lung and immune system development,” Wilson said.
The study included more than 2,000 mother-infant pairs from three studies. The women were asked about breastfeeding and asthma symptoms when their children were 4 to 6 years old. The longer a mother breastfed exclusively, the less likely her child was to have asthma-related symptoms, such as wheezing, a diagnosis of asthma and/or taking medication to treat asthma, in the past one to two years.
Compared to infants who were breastfed for less than two months, infants who were breastfed for two to four months were 36% less likely to have asthma or wheezing by age 4 to 6 years. Babies breastfed for five to six months were 39% less likely to have asthma, and babies breastfed for more than six months were 48% less likely, the study found.
Breastfeeding in combination with formula or juice did not provide the same asthma protection as exclusive breastfeeding.
The study was recently published online in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Angela Hogan, MD, is vice chair of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Asthma Committee and a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. She summarized the findings.
“There are a lot of good bacteria in breast milk that colonize the gut and other protective proteins that prevent the body’s immune system from ramping up, becoming allergic and causing asthma,” she explained.
If you can’t breastfeed, there are other ways to prevent asthma. These include minimizing the use of antibiotics and taking steps to avoid viral infections, such as keeping your newborn away from sick people and washing your hands frequently, Hogan said. Overuse of antibiotics can alter the gut microbiome and set the stage for asthma, Hogan said.
The ACAAI recommends introducing babies to peanuts and eggs at about 6 months of age to avoid peanut and egg allergies. This is not possible if a mother exclusively breastfeeds for the first six months, she said.
Hogan’s best advice? “Talk to your pediatrician, because there may be some infants at high risk for food allergies who should try peanut and eggs earlier.”
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For more information about asthma in children, visit the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
SOURCES: Keadrea Wilson, MD, assistant professor, neonatology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Angela Hogan, MD, pediatric allergist, immunologist, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Norfolk, Va. and vice chair of the ACAAI Asthma Committee; Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, May 9, 2022.
