Breastfeeding and asthma… are they a “good” mix? I’ve reported on this blog before about what studies have shown in regards to breastfeeding and any protection it may confer against asthma. Different studies’ results have been somewhat conflicting. Now, a new study of UK data shows that breastfeeding does not really protect against the risk of early childhood asthma, despite previous evidence. But the good news is that it also does not increase the risk of developing asthma, as other studies seemed to suggest in the past.

However, it may provide some protection against the risk of wheezing – a common asthma symptom – during the first 3 years of life. Here are the highlights of the study, which was carried out by researchers in North Carolina and reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

• Records of more than 13,000 children who were involved in a long-term UK health study were examined
• Kids were monitored from birth until at least 8 years of age
• Children who were breastfed for at least 6 months after birth were 20% less likely to wheeze in the first 3 years of life than kids who were bottlefed
• No link was found between breastfeeding history and any risk for asthma, wheezing or allergic disease in kids who were 7 or 8 years old

So, what should you take from this latest study? Simply, that in general, these findings support past findings for the most part. Although breastfeeding doesn’t offer any real benefits against asthma or allergy over the long term, it does offer some protection during infancy and the first few years against wheezing. So babies who breastfeed should have better respiratory health during their start in life. And breastfeeding certainly confers many other benefits too, for both baby and mother.

More: Pregnancy & Asthma | Breastfeeding Basics | Asthma in Infants