Breastfeeding infants linked to higher allergy rates in young childrem
A study from the University of Toyama suggests that while exclusive breastfeeding offers protection against asthma and hay fever, it is linked to a higher risk of food allergies in early childhood. The findings highlight a complex trade-off in infant nutrition choices.
Why it matters
These findings provide new data for parents and pediatricians to consider when balancing the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding against potential allergy risks.
While the benefits of exclusively breastfeeding an infant have been well studied, a new study has found a link between breastfeeding and childhood allergies, raising new questions over the choice between breastmilk and formula. Breastfeeding does undoubtedly have benefits. The World Health Organization calls it “the ideal food for infants,” and recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed until six months old. Breastfeeding has been associated with higher intelligence tests and lower rates of early asthma. However, a research team from the University of Toyama, Japan, led by Professor Emeritus Hidekuni Inadera and using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study JECS set out to discover if there was any correlation between breastfeeding and food allergies.
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