A new study indicates that infants exclusively fed breast milk during their hospital stay are 22% less likely to develop asthma in early childhood, emphasizing the importance of early breastfeeding practices. New York: A team of researchers on Friday said that infants who were exclusively fed breast milk during their hospitalisation at birth were 22 per cent less likely to develop asthma in early childhood. Although the birth hospitalisation lasts only a few days, it sets a critical foundation for establishing breastfeeding, which can influence health outcomes like childhood asthma, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics ‘2024 National Conference and Exhibition’ in Orlando, Florida.
According to Laura Placke Ward, co-director for the Center for Breastfeeding Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the study underscores the importance of hospital practices in supporting exclusive breastfeeding, as these early experiences may impact long-term health. The authors noted that while longer duration and exclusive breastfeeding are known to reduce asthma risk, the effect of breastfeeding during the birth hospitalization is less understood. From the 9,649 children included in the study, 81 per cent received some breast milk and 31 per cent exclusively received breast milk during the birth hospitalisation.
Five percent had a diagnosis of asthma. Infants who received only breast milk had a lower rate of asthma diagnosis compare.