
Giggle as they gurgle
TheAge.com / June 17, 2007
BREASTFEEDING mothers with a sense of humour may help their babies fight skin allergies, according to a new study.
Japanese researcher Hajime Kimata at Osaka's Moriguchi-Keijinkai Hospital recruited breastfeeding mothers who had babies with a common allergy, mild atopic eczema.
The mothers were shown either a Charlie Chaplin movie or boring footage about weather, and their breast milk was taken for testing at regular intervals.
Two milk feeds later, the infants were tested for their reaction to dust mites and latex — and those whose mothers had laughed had "markedly reduced reactions", British science weekly New Scientist says...