Breast Feeding and Childhood Eczema

Breast feeding has numerous benefits for a child's health and well being. Some have even suggested that breast feeding can help with a child's skin as well. A new report published in the British Journal of Dermatology may have disproved this claim. The study examined data data from 51,119 children aged 8 to 12 years in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, and found that those who were exclusively breast-fed for four months or longer were as likely to develop eczema compared to those who were breast-fed for shorter periods of time. Apparently, exclusively breast-feeding infants for four months or longer does not protect them against developing the itchy skin disorder known as eczema in childhood.