More breast is best medical research

More breast is best research is out today. New finds show exclusive breastfeeding for six months reduces the number and severity of common infections in babies.

Research published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, tracked around 1000 babies during the course of a year. They were periodically examined for any common illnesses including respiratory and urinary infections, ear infections,  stomach upsets, conjunctivitis and thrush.

Babies who were exclusively breastfed for six months were found to have significantly fewer infections than those were were mixed fed or formula fed.

The authors, led by Professor Emmanouil Galanakis at the University of Crete say:“Exclusive breastfeeding helps protect infants against common infections and lessens the frequency and severity of infectious episode not only in developing countries but also in communities with adequate vaccination coverage and healthcare standards.”