When my youngest son, Jeremy, was a baby he developed quite severe asthma.
The pediatrician I was referred to, who specialized in asthma, advised me to
wean him immediately (he was two or three months old!!) and he would admit
him to the hospital for a week and get him on a medication schedule! I was
horrified at the idea, and said I would not be weaning him and he was not
going into the hospital or anywhere else without me. The doctor was quite
shocked and said he recommends this for all the babies he sees and most
mothers are grateful for the break and a chance to catch up on their sleep.

While I ignored his recommendations we continued to see him on and off over
the next two years to monitor Jeremy's health. When Jeremy was two (and of
course still nursing), this doctor said to me that he had never seen a child
who developed severe asthma in infancy do so well. Jeremy had never needed
to be hospitalized, needed only low levels of medication, was active and
otherwise healthy. He actually said to me "I can only attribute it to the
breastfeeding. It has made a real difference to your child's health."

I had lots of people say to me, when Jeremy was wheezing, "but I thought
breastfeeding prevented allergies and asthma and things like that." Well, it
didn't prevent it, but that doctor was very clear that it made a big
difference in the severity of the illness.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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