Methodological Challenges in Studying Long-term Effects of Breast-Feeding

Many short- and long-term child health benefits have been reported with breast-feeding. Many of these alleged health benefits exhibit dose-response relationships, with greater exclusivity and duration of breast-feeding associated with greater degrees of benefit. The short-term benefits have included reduced morbidity and even mortality from infectious diseases, particularly gastrointestinal and respiratory infection.^1–2 Atopic eczema and cow’s milk and other food allergies have also been reported to be less frequent in breast-fed infants. The clearest short-term benefits have been shown to accrue to infants during the actual period of breast-feeding, but a number of studies have suggested that breast-feeding, particularly exclusive and prolonged breast-feeding, may confer protection against such long-term health outcomes as asthma, other allergic diseases, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, lymphoma, leukemia, obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia, as well as lead to taller stature and improved neurocognitive development.¹