The following now appears on the UK UNICEF Baby-Friendly Initiative website:
Sincerely, Janice Reynolds


23 September 2002
Lancet asthma study refuted
The study by Sears and colleagues in the Lancet (20 September 2002) finds no
protective effect of breastfeeding against asthma and other allergic
diseases. This contradicts the findings of other studies, notably research
published in July by Oddy and colleagues.
The difference in the findings is likely to be explained by the different
approaches in relation to exclusive breastfeeding.

Sears compares babies who were breastfed for more than 4 weeks with those
who were not. Just 15% of babies are classed as 'exclusively' breastfed, and
the author accepts that many of these "received a nightly formula feed while
in hospital". This differs from the internationally accepted definition of
exclusive breastfeeding, which is that babies receive no food or drink other
than breastmilk.  Furthermore, using a cut-off point of 4 weeks of
'exclusive breastfeeding' means that the breastfeeding group would in fact
have included babies whose mothers stopped breastfeeding or moved to mixed
bottle- and breastfeeding shortly after 4 weeks.

Oddy, on the other hand, found that children who had been exclusively
breastfed for their first 4 months were less likely to suffer from asthma at
age 6 years.

It is believed that a single feed of artificial infant formula to a
susceptible baby can trigger an allergic response. The findings of Sears and
colleagues should therefore be treated with great caution.

Oddy WH et al (2002). Maternal asthma, infant feeding, and the risk of
asthma in childhood. J Allergy Clin Immunol 110: 65-7
Sears MR et al (2002). Long-term relation between breastfeeding and
development of atopy and asthma in children and young adults: a longitudinal
study. Lancet 360: 901-07.

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