London - Breast may not be best when it comes to preventing allergies, according to doctors.
A study of almost 200 children found that those who were breastfed as babies were just as likely to have hay-fever as those who were bottle fed.
Nor did rates of asthma, eczema and food allergies differ between the two groups.
The findings, released at a medical conference in the US, contradict previous research, including a study cited by Unicef which found breastfed babies had a lower risk of five different allergies.
And the National Childbirth Trust says breastfeeding offers protection against asthma and wheeziness when allergies run in the family.
The researchers, from the University of Chicago Medicine hospital, said larger studies are needed to confirm their results and new mothers should continue to breastfeed.
The NHS advises that breastfeeding gives babies the healthiest start in life, saying it cuts the odds of stomach bugs, chest and ear infections and constipation.
It says that breastfed babies have lower odds of being obese and while every little helps, it recommends babies are fed exclusively on their mother’s milk for the first six months. Breastfeeding also benefits women, by cutting their odds of breast and ovarian cancer and helping them bond with their baby, the NHS adds
Despite the advice, Britain has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in Europe, with a quarter of new mothers never attempting it and just one in 100 managing to give their baby nothing but breast milk for the recommended six months. The latest research was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s annual scientific conference. The Food Standards Agency said it had recently commissioned its own research into whether breastfeeding cuts the risk of allergies. The results will be feed into official advice on breastfeeding, which is in the process of being updated.
A spokesperson added: “Breastfeeding is best for babies.
“Breast milk provides all the nutrients a baby needs for healthy growth and development for the first six months of life and should continue to be an important part of babies’ diet for the first year of life.
“The current national advice recommends that babies are exclusively breast fed for around the first six months of their life.” Researcher Dr Quindelyn Cook said: “Larger studies need to be done to determine how these results might apply to the larger population.
“This study also did not take into consideration whether babies were exclusively breast fed or supplemented with formula.
“Breast milk is the best food for babies.We absolutely would still encourage all new mothers to consider breastfeeding.”
Daily Mail