We assessed the relationship between breastfeeding and antimicrobial use in the first year of life in healthy infants by surveying a military population of healthy term infants with questionnaires obtained at the 6-month and 12-month well-baby visits. Breastfed (BF) babies spent 48% as much time receiving antimicrobials by 6 months of age and 47.4% by 12 months of age as compared to formula-fed peers. Breastfed babies also showed significant differences in use of second-line agents at both 6 months (BF=5.5%, Non-BF=19%) and 12 months (19% BF, nonBF=36.9%). These results suggest that breastfeeding decreases exposure of infants to antimicrobials throughout the first year of life and also decreases use of second-line antibiotics in the first year of life.
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