Another misleading headline about breastfeeding? "Too much breast-feeding makes babies more prone to allergies"

[Tinker]

Here in the Indie

The article actually says this applies for exclusive breastfeeding beyond 6 months. How many people really fall into that category to justify that headline?

I think the headline was the inapropiate thing, from what I read I understood that the problem is not breastfeeding but delaying weaning for far too long (weaning as for introduction of other foods, not as stoping breastfeeding)

It was a Finnish study. The rates of bf in Finland are sky-high, so I doubt they could find enough formula-fed babies for comparison.

Also, if it was a 200-baby study, how many were left exclusive bf at 9 months. Not many, I'd bet.

I insist, it's not about breastfeeding, it's about late weaning...

I insist that I wholeheartedly agree Chandra! (but by crumbs, don't say anything about weaning sppons form 3 months or Hunker will come down on you like a ton of bricks )

There is also no metion as to whether the families involved delayed weaning because of the history of allergies. I have become increasingly reluctant with each of my DDs to wean, I have been told by our paediatric specialist to hold on as long as possible with dd3. I'm assuming he means until 6 months, but if you have a seriously allergic child (and you'd already know because proteins pass through breastmilk) then it would make sense to hold off exposure to potential allergens.

I'm sure I could have been more concise there. Sorry.

Good point Missy! Although I still suspect that postponing weaning long beyond nine months may have some effects. I remember some time ago somebody mentioning about the need to chew things to develop some speech skills, or for example, populations in the world who don't get some particular foods on their diets and after some time can no longer digest them. If you are raised a vegeterian could you easily diggest meat? that sort of thing.

No weaning sp Squarer, never before 6m unless the guidelines change yet another time!

How bizarre!

To label the study as "breastfeeding beyond 6 months + no weaning = higher risk of allergies."

Surely its just "delaying weaning well beyond 6 months = higher risk of allergies"

Am getting more and more paranoid that certain baby "product" companies are on an undercover PR exercise to discredit breastfeeding to their favour.

I have complained actually.

"I was rather dismayed to see the headline accompanying Jeremy Laurance?s article on a study on allergies by Finnish scientists. A link for your convenience: news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article1211284.ece
It is rather inaccurate, a little sensationalist, and misleading. ?Too much breast-feeding makes babies more prone to allergies?. The study actually states, according to Mr Laurance?s own article, that exclusive breast-feeding well beyond 6 months has been linked to an increase in allergies ? in 200 cases studied. This, effectively, means that ?late weaning? is more the issue, rather than the breast milk. I would also be keen to know if formula feeding played any part in this research, in order to give a true balanced view. Furthermore, there are no references to current WHO guidelines with regard to what the bulk of research has found to be the most suitable advice. This being that it is advisable to exclusively breast-feed to at least 6 months, and the most benefit to be achieved would be to breast-feed until 2 years of age (that is not to say that weaning on to solid foods on or around 6 months should not happen until the age of 2).
At a time in the UK, when breast-feeding rates are far lower than they should be, and encouragement and support seriously lacking for breast feeding mothers, articles and sensationalist headlines such as this prove no benefit to anyone. With the exception of unscrupulous money-grabbing formula milk companies of course.
I would be most pleased if you would change the article?s title to something more appropriate and accurate. I look forward to hearing your comments on this."

i hope your letter gets printed Latipsoh