Best infant remedy for infection?

Exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months, as recommended by the World Health Organization, may protect infants against common infections, according to a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. "Breastfed infants are considered to be less prone to a variety of infections, including acute otitis media, and gastrointestinal and lower respiratory tract infections," writes the lead researcher. The goal of the study was to determine the impact of breast-feeding on the frequency and severity of infections in a well-defined population of infants with adequate vaccination coverage and healthcare standards. The investigators recorded type of feeding and all infectious episodes, including acute otitis media (AOM), acute respiratory infection (ARI), gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, conjunctivitis, and thrush, in a representative sample of 926 infants who were followed up at ages 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.

Compared with partially breast-fed or non−breast-fed infants, those who were exclusively breast-fed for 6 months had fewer infectious episodes: 58% less for ARI; 37% less for AOM; 14% for thrush. Prolonged exclusive breast-feeding was associated with fewer infectious episodes through age 1 year, as well as with fewer hospitalizations for infection. Partial breastfeeding did not seem to provide this protective effect.