Infants in a Dutch study who were exclusively breastfed for at least six months were less likely to develop respiratory or gastrointestinal issues, which the researchers said supports "current health policy strategies that promote exclusive breastfeeding for six months in industrialized countries," Reuters reports. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, and a recent study found that $13 billion could be saved annually in the U.S. if families comply with the recommendations.

The study -- published in the journal Pediatrics and conducted by researchers at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam -- included data on about 4,100 infants born between 2002 and 2006. The researchers considered whether the infants were breastfed and until what age; whether they were given any other foods; and whether they were treated for various infections, such as pneumonia or stomach flu.

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months reduced the risk of respiratory tract infections by about two-thirds, compared with a 50% reduction among infants exclusively breastfed for four months. The results of exclusive breastfeeding were "less dramatic" in reducing the risk of gastrointestinal infection, regardless of the length of exclusive breastfeeding, Reuters reports.

Lead author Henriette Moll said the most significant decline in breastfeeding typically occurs when women return to work. Addressing the issue requires "translating the study results into practice" through policies such as extended maternity leave and creation of "adequate facilities to continue breastfeeding," Moll added.

Ruth Lawrence, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Breastfeeding, said, "From a practical standpoint, it's to an employer's benefit to facilitate breastfeeding." She added, "Absenteeism of parents of bottle-fed babies is extremely high, and that's costly to an industry." Therefore, "it's a lot cheaper to facilitate breastfeeding," she said (Myers Lowe, Reuters, 6/22).

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