A prospective Australian birth cohort of 666 infants found that exclusive colostrum feeding during the first three days of life was associated with a lower risk of peanut allergy at 12 to 18 months compared with partial colostrum feeding that included formula. No peanut allergy cases occurred among infants who received at least nine colostrum feeds per day. Later introduction of peanut increased allergy risk among partially colostrum-fed infants, but not among exclusively breastfed infants. The study suggests that early feeding frequency may influence immune development, though oral food challenges were not performed and follow-up was limited to 18 months.

Source: Allergy