Ear infections

Next to offering a child all nutrition in the right amounts and balance it needs for healthy growth and development, human milk is filled up with factors that protect a child for, amongst others, all kinds of infections. Infections of the respiratory tract and the ears are being protected by human milk and breastfeeding in multitude ways, including avoidance of irritating substances (because human milk is a substance that is recognized as its own by the baby’s body and thus is not an irritant to the lungs), the avoidance of exposure to allergens, and the active local attack to pathogens. Otitis media is seen more often in children who are fed by bottle and in lying posture (Mumtaz et al 2009). Ladomenou et al found in their well-designed study thet the protection breastfeeding offers is seen primarily in children who are according to WHO directions exclusivelu breastfed for 6 months.
Ladomenou F, Moschandreas J, Kafatos A, Tselentis Y, Galanakis E: Protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding against infections during infancy: a prospective study. Arch Dis Child archdischild 2010, doi:10.1136/adc.2009.169912
Mumtaz Y, Habib F, Jahangeer A, Habib A: DETERMINANTS OF ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA IN INFANTS. JDUHS 2009, Vol. 3(1): 10-15