Does breastfeeding delay the onset of eczema in infants?

Background Cow’s milk has been shown to contribute to flare-up of atopic dermatitis, whereas breastfeeding was thought to help reduce the severity of the flare-ups of the condition. Aim To investigate whether breastfeeding or cow’s milk (bottle formula) has an influence on the course of and onset of atopic dermatitis symptoms. Three feeding modalities were evaluated. These are ‘breastfed,’ ‘bottle-fed,’ or ‘breast and bottle-fed.’ Patients and methods Medical records from general practice of patients aged 2 years or less with diagnosis of eczema, atopic dermatitis, atopic eczema, and infantile eczema were reviewed. A cohort of 131 patients was divided into three categories: (a) breastfed, (b) bottle-fed, and (c) breast and bottle-fed. These data were studied according to the data recorded at the 6-week infant health checkup. The age of the child at their first eczematous diagnosis was then calculated in accordance with their date of birth. Result New eczema diagnosis showed a similar trend in ‘breast-fed’ babies; however, onset of eczema was significantly delayed in the ‘breast and bottle-fed’ group when compared with bottle-fed alone. Most bottle-fed babies (58% of patients) were diagnosed at 31–60 days, whereas most ‘breast and bottle-fed’ babies (56%) were diagnosed at 91–120 days (P≥0.0001). Conclusion Babies from the two groups (‘breast’ and ‘breast and bottle-fed’) experienced a delayed onset of their eczema compare with ‘bottle-fed’ infant group. Breastfeeding can delay the onset of atopic dermatitis.