Exclusive breastfeeding for the first three months could protect infants with eczema from chronic symptoms in childhood, US research suggests.

Data from more than 1500 six-year-olds reveal exclusive breastfeeding doesn’t prevent eczema — but is associated with a lower risk of active disease.

In total, 309 (20%) of the children had an eczema diagnosis and 59% still had symptoms at age six, according to the study led by the Children’s National Health Systems in Washington DC.

But children who had been exclusively breastfed for three months or more were about 52% less likely to have current symptoms than those who had not been breastfed, or who were breastfed for less than three months.