
Babies who were exclusively breastfed for the first three months of life had significantly lower chances of having eczema at age six compared to their peers who were breastfed for less time or were not breastfed, reports a new study. The findings of the study are presented during the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2019 Annual Meeting.
Eczema is a chronic condition characterized by extremely itchy skin that, when scratched, becomes inflamed and covered with blisters that crack easily. While genes and the environment are implicated in this inflammatory disease, many questions remain unanswered, such as how best to prevent it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breastfed infants have reduced risks for developing many chronic conditions, including asthma and obesity.
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"The evidence that being exclusively breastfed protects children from developing eczema later in life remains mixed," says Katherine M. Balas, BS, BA, a clinical research assistant at Children's National and the study's lead author. "Our research team is trying to help fill that data gap."
About 300 of the children had been diagnosed with eczema at some point in their lives, and 58.5 percent of the 6-year-olds had eczema at the time of the CDC/FDA Year Six Follow-Up. Children with higher socioeconomic status or a family history of food allergies had higher odds of being diagnosed with eczema.
"Children who were exclusively breastfed for three months or longer were significantly less likely (adjusted odds ratio: 0.477) to have continued eczema at age 6, compared with peers who were never breastfed or who were breastfed for less than three months," Balas adds.
"While exclusive breastfeeding may not prevent kids from getting eczema, it may protect them from experiencing extended flare-ups."
Source: Eurekalert
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