We’ve known for awhile that when mothers have asthma (or related conditions such as eczema and hay fever) breast feeding for at least 4 to 6 months will lower the risk of her child developing asthma. A study of over 2500 children published in the July 2002 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that breast feeding reduces the risk of asthma in children, and that this protective effect is not influenced by the mother’s asthma history. Whether or not the mother has asthma, eczema, or hay fever, breast feeding is protective. It doesn’t eliminate the risk of these conditions, but it makes a clear, consistent, measurable difference.
