Breast-feeding for 6 months or more acts against asthma

Babies who are exclusively breast-fed for six months or more are less likely to develop symptoms of asthma in early childhood, new research suggests.

The study, published online in the European Respiratory Journal, found that children who had never been breast-fed had an increased risk of wheezing, shortness of breath, dry cough and persistent phlegm during the first four years of life, compared to children who were breast-fed for more than six months.

In fact, children who were never breast-fed were up to 1.5 times more likely to develop wheezing and persistent phlegm.

Meanwhile, the children who were fed other milk or solids in addition to breast milk during the first four months of life were also more likely to experience wheezing, shortness of breath, dry cough and persistent phlegm during the first four years of life than children who were exclusively breast-fed for their first four months.