Seen this???

Yahoo! News                                            Health Headlines


Wednesday February 3 1:56 PM ET

Breast-feeding tied to some allergies

NEW YORK, Feb 03 (Reuters Health) -- Breast-feeding usually helps to
prevent allergy, but it may not be
advisable for some infants with allergic skin conditions, such as
those with atopic eczema who also have impaired growth, researchers
report.

``Breast-fed infants with allergy should be treated by allergen
avoidance, and in some cases breast-feeding
should also be stopped,'' conclude a team of investigators at the
University of Turku in Finland. Their findings were published in the
January issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.

Most infants derive unique immunological benefit from breast milk,
which contains disease and allergy-fighting compounds found nowhere
else. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that newborns be
breast-fed for at least the first 6 months of life.

However, a small minority of children may not benefit from breast milk
due to allergies, according to the Finnish team.

They compared the health of 100 infants with allergic eczema before
and after they were switched from
breast-feeding to soy-based formula.

The authors say they observed ``an improvement in skin condition''
among the infants soon after their diets
changed.

Changes were most significant in allergic babies who also had impaired
growth. In these infants, ``normal
growth was achieved after breast-feeding was ceased,'' the researchers
note. They speculate that infant
allergies may delay physical development.

``It is well established that (food) allergens in the mother's diet
can be transferred to breast milk and may
contribute to... allergic symptoms in the infant,'' the authors explain.

Some breast-feeding mothers might wish to eliminate suspect allergens
(for example, wheat, peanut butter, or shellfish) from their diet. But
the authors believe this is only a partial solution. ``Some
improvement could be achieved by strict elimination diet by the
mothers,'' they explain, but ``an elimination diet adopted by the
mother does not reverse sensitization that has already developed into
allergic disease.''

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Armond S. Goldman of the University
of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston,
stresses that breast-feeding remains essential to the healthy physical
and immunological development of the
vast majority of infants.

``Premature cessation of breast-feeding should not be advised unless
the evidence indicates that (it) is
responsible for medical problems or unless there is insufficient
social support to continue breast-feeding,'' he writes.

SOURCE: The Journal of Pediatrics 1999;134:5-7, 27-32.
--
Monique
Noah Reilly Schaefers  6/18/97
[log in to unmask]