Breastfeeding reduces asthma risk by colonizing a baby’s body with healthy microbes Meanwhile, baby formula feeds microbes that can increase asthma risk Breast milk contains sugars that promote growth of healthy microbes THURSDAY, Sept. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Breastfeeding through the first year of infants' lives can lower their risk of asthma by colonizing their bodies with a healthy mix of microbes, a new study finds. Results show that breastfeeding beyond three months supported the gradual maturation of a baby’s gut microbiome, researchers reported Sept.
19 in the journal Cell . On the other hand, stopping breastfeeding earlier than three months disrupts development of the microbiome and is linked to a higher risk of preschool asthma, researchers said. Breast milk contains complex sugars and other nutrients that boost the growth of healthy microbes in their gut, they explained.
On the other hand, baby formula contains nutrients that promote growth of a different set of microbes. While many microbes that thrive on formula eventually develop in all babies, their early arrival is linked to an increased risk of asthma, researchers report. “Just as a pacemaker regulates the rhythm of the heart, breastfeeding and human milk set the pace and sequence for microbial colonization in the infant’s gut and nasal cavity, ensuring that this process occurs in an orderly and timely manner,” said co-senior investigator Liat Shenhav , a computational biologist and assistant p.