January 28 2008 - Results of a new study find that breastfeeding protected mice from developing asthma.

The study seems to confirm what many already know that breastfeeding your baby brings many benefits and on of which is reducing the development of asthma, as opposed to those children that are not breastfed.

The mice that were studied were breastfed by their mothers and appeared to be less susceptible to developing asthma-like symptoms such as wheezing, than were those not breastfed as babies.

It is believed that a component in breast milk called TGF beta is what offers the protection from asthma.

It is estimated that asthma effects more than 300 million people from all corners of the world.

Sally Rose, an asthma nurse specialist at Asthma UK, said: 'While some research does suggest that breastfeeding may help reduce the chance of babies developing allergic conditions such as asthma, there are other studies that contradict this.

"Because breastfeeding provides many proven benefits for babies, current advice from the Department of Health, which Asthma UK supports, is that, where possible, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life."

Visit www.asthmauk.co.uk for more information.