Babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life are much less likely to get sick, according to a new study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Researchers in Greece followed the progress of 926 infants during their first year of life, 91 percent of whom were breastfed during their first six months. All of the babies had access to high-quality healthcare and were routinely vaccinated.
The study found that the infants who fed only on breast milk were considerably less likely to get sick than those who had fed from a bottle. And when the breastfed infants did catch an infection, it was generally less severe than those contracted by their counterparts.
Breast milk boosts the infant’s immune system and passes along antibodies from the nursing mother. Exclusive breastfeeding was essential, say the researchers – supplementing breast milk with bottles did not achieve the same results.
"Mothers should be advised by health professionals that, in addition to all the other benefits, exclusive breastfeeding helps prevent infections in babies and lessens the frequency and severity of infectious episodes," say the study’s authors.