Babies are more likely to develop allergies if there’s a history of eczema, asthma, hay fever or food allergies in the family. If your baby has a family history of these conditions, breastfeeding your baby exclusively for the first six months may help to lower their risk.

Substances in human milk coat your baby’s intestines, which prevents microscopic food particles from “leaking” through into your baby’s bloodstream. If they do pass into the blood (something that is more common in a baby fed commercial milk formulas), these food particles may be treated as foreign substances by your baby’s white blood cells. The white blood cells attack the food particles and can cause painful allergic reactions such as diarrhea, sore bottoms, runny noses and eyes, rashes and eczema, or a crying, sleepless baby.

If you have allergies on either side of the family, it may be beneficial to avoid the foods you or your baby’s father/donor are sensitive to, while you are breastfeeding. It is also helpful to breastfeed frequently. If you have a problem with dairy, for instance, proteins from cow’s milk present in your own milk may cause problems for your baby.