Breastfeeding

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Research has shown that breastfeeding helps to boost a baby’s immune system and can help protect against respiratory infections. However, researchers concluded that breastfeeding seemed unlikely to have had a major impact on reducing the level of hereditary conditions such as asthma or eczema.The study involved babies born in 1996/7.

All babies were breastfed and seen again at the age of six. At this point, they were tested for asthma and most of them had skin prick tests for allergies to the house dust mite, cats, birch pollen, and mixed grasses.

The Canadian researchers, led by Dr Michael Kramer from The Montreal Children’s Hospital, said: “Whether breastfeeding protects against the development of allergy and asthma has been frequently studied and hotly debated for more than 70 years. The results from this large cluster randomised trial indicate that the experimental intervention to promote breastfeeding did not reduce the risk of asthma, hay fever, or eczema at age 6.5 years despite large increases in the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding”.

Scotland-based Independent Midwife Sharon Trotter said many babies can develop allergies because of aspects of modern day life but breast is always best. “These babies were already protected by breastfeeding. We can’t say breastfeeding is a cure….what we can say is that if you breastfeed you are giving your baby the best chance in life,” she said.

Figures released in May 2007 showed that fewer than 1% of women in the UK follow Government advice to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months.

The Infant Feeding Survey revealed that 76% of women in 2005 started out breastfeeding - up 7%.

However, most had resorted to formula within weeks and fewer than half were still breastfeeding by the time their baby was six-weeks-old. Only one in four women were still breastfeeding at six months. Independent midwife Sharon Trotter told us that Mums need more help and a national advice line should be developed.

“Things are moving in the right direction but breastfeeding should be seen as the norm. We shouldn’t be thinking that anything comes close. “We need to have a national helpline…it’s all about confidence and being encouraged to breastfeed,” she added.