Breastfeeding generally is accepted as supplying a nutritionally complete diet to infants. Generally, women are advised to breastfeed for four to six months and then wean their baby and start the child on solid food. Some mothers breastfeed for extended periods in the belief that it will prevent the development of allergies and asthma. However, prolonged breastfeeding actually can increase the incidence of allergies in children through exposure to allergens from the mother's diet.
Infantile Eczema
Atopic dermatitis, also known as infantile eczema, is an inflammatory, noncontagious skin disorder marked by an itchy rash that can develop into painful bumps over the entire body of a baby. An October 2008 review article in "Current Opinion in Allergy & Clinical Immunology" investigated the relationship of long-term breastfeeding on atopic dermatitis and asthma in later childhood. The authors reviewed case-controlled studies and found that breastfeeding did not prevent or inhibit the occurrence of allergies in infants, nor the development of asthma in later childhood. In fact, they concluded that breastfeeding may increase the frequency of allergies and asthma in children.
Allergenic Foods
It is well-known that breastfeeding is nutritionally beneficial to infants; however, the impact of human milk on the prevention of allergies is not fully understood. A study in the February 2010 issue of the Korean "Hanyang Medical Review" stated that prolonged breastfeeding may be a contributing factor to the development of allergies in families with a history of asthma and food allergies. The authors recommend breastfeeding for at least four months but not more than six. The study concluded that mothers should exclude allergenic foods, such as peanuts and eggs, from their diets.
Breastfeeding for 12 Months
The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) have recommended breastfeeding for up to 12 months. However, a WHO/UNICEF study published in the January 2008 issue of "The Journal of Family Practice" could not state whether continuous, exclusive breastfeeding decreases the occurrence of allergies in children. In this study, researchers posed the question, "Does an intervention to promote breastfeeding decrease the risk of asthma and allergy by 6 years of age?" To answer this inquiry, they enrolled 17,046 infants and divided them into two groups: one in which the infants were breastfed for three months and a second where the infants were breastfed for 12 months. The researchers found no difference in the rates of allergy and asthma between the two groups when the children were examined at 6 years of age.
Atopy
Atopy is the predisposition of developing allergies, which usually is associated with a family history of allergy. An article appearing in the September 2007 issue of "Family Physicians Inquiry Network" found that atopy decreased during the first year of life when infants were breastfed for four to six months, as compared to infants weaned from breast milk and supplemented with cow's milk or a soy alternative. The authors also found that the introduction of solid food after three months was not associated with an increase of allergies in later childhood.
References
- "Family Physicians Inquiries Network"; Does the Age You Introduce Food to an Infant Affect Allergies Later?; H. Kovich, et al.; September 2007
- "The Journal of Family Practice"; Breastfeeding Promotion Does Not Decrease Asthma or Allergies; M. Kramer, et al.; January 2008
- "Hanyang Medical Review"; Effects of Breastfeeding on the Development of Allergies; H. Lee; February 2010
- "Current Opinion in Allergy & Clinical Immunology"; Breastfeeding and Allergies: Time for a Change in Paradigm?" J. Duncan, et al.; October 2008
