Breastfeeding in primary prevention of atopic diseases - is it really protective?

The role of human milk in the development of allergic sensitization remains controversial, especially in view of the difficulty to perform randomized clinical trials as well as methodological differences in the existing data. The incapability of human milk to prevent from allergic phenotype may be ascribed to genetic predisposition, environmental factors and also to differences in the immune contents of human milk, resulting in a lack of oral tolerance development. This article presents controversial results of recently published studies and current recommendations regarding the role of breastfeeding in allergy prevention.