B1262 words1:47News Report British AccentPublished Jul 16, 2026 · Updated Jul 16, 2026

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A large medical research project in Japan has found that breastfeeding may reduce some childhood allergies but increase others.

The health study was conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Toyama.

They followed more than 88,000 mother-infant pairs from birth until the children reached six years of age.

The results were published in the journal BMC Pediatrics in April 2026.

Breastfeeding is widely known for helping a baby's immune system develop during the first months of life.

The World Health Organization recommends that mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first six months.

Previous studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding for four to six months is connected to a lower risk of asthma.

However, the relationship between breastfeeding and food allergy has not been clear until now.

The research team was led by Professor Emeritus Hidekuni Inadera from the University of Toyama.

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According to Professor Inadera, breastfeeding during the first six months was linked to lower rates of asthma and allergic eye and nose conditions.

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However, the study also found that breastfeeding was associated with a higher risk of food allergy, especially among male infants.

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These findings suggest that breastfeeding has both protective and harmful effects on different types of childhood allergies.

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This health study is one of the largest of its kind because it included data from more than 88,000 families.

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Experts believe that more medical research is needed to understand why breastfeeding affects allergies differently.

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Professor Inadera noted that the results do not mean mothers should stop breastfeeding, which still offers many important health benefits for babies.

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Japanese study links breastfeeding to mixed risks for childhood allergies

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