Breastfeeding Linked to Respiratory Health

A recent study has linked breastfeeding to children's respiratory health. The study, conducted by the University of California's pediatric department, showed that 2 additional months of breast-feeding may in fact be related to the number of respiratory ailments a child will suffer in infancy, right up until the age of 2-years-old.

The study examined the respiratory health of a group of children – from birth up until the age of 2-years-old. It concluded that babies whose mothers ceased breast-feeding before they were 6-months-old suffered more instances of re-occurring ear infections and pneumonia; compared to those who were breast-fed right up until 6-months or older.

Dr. Caroline J. Chantry, leader of the study and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, claims simply that the longer a mother breastfeeds; the greater her child's respiratory health will be in the future.  "If you can breast-feed for 6-months," says Chantry, "you're doing your baby a favor."

Read the full article here - http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/health/21prev.html.