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Exclusive breastfeeding and development of atopic dermatitis in childhood: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

A retrospective literature search (1966-2008) of 21 prospective cohort studies examined the association between exclusive breastfeeding for at least 3 months postdelivery and atopic dermatitis (AD) development in childhood. The mean duration of follow-up was 2.2 years (range 1-7 years). The summary odds ratio (OR) for exclusive breastfeeding and risk of pediatric AD was 0.89. The pooled OR for study populations with an atopic history was 0.78. In studies restricted to comparing breastfeeding with conventional formula feeding there was a significant reduction in AD risk (OR: 0.70). Thus there is no strong evidence of protection from AD by exclusive breastfeeding. However there was evidence of significant heterogeneity across the studies (P < ...