Frank NM, Lynch KF, Uusitalo U, et al. - Experts sought to investigate whether exclusive longer-term breastfeeding will have a greater impact on future rates of acute respiratory and gastrointestinal illness during childhood than exclusive shorter-term breastfeeding. For this investigation, they examined exclusive and non-exclusive breastfeeding in relation to the 3-month odds of respiratory or gastrointestinal infection for 6,861 children aged 3–18 months and 5,666 children aged 4 years. Breastfeeding was found to be inversely linked to the odds of respiratory infections with fever, otitis media, and infective gastroenteritis at 3–6 months of age, although the inverse connection with respiratory illnesses was observed only for girls during the winter months. Between the ages of 6 and 18 months, breastfeeding within any 3 month period continued to be inversely linked to the odds of ear infection and infective gastroenteritis, as well as odds of conjunctivitis, and laryngitis and tracheitis, over the same period of 3 months within this age range. In this group, however, breastfeeding has been associated with increased common cold reports. Findings suggested that breastfeeding can be protective against various respiratory and gastrointestinal acute illnesses in few children up to at least 6 months of age, with the duration of exclusive breastfeeding being somewhat protective of otitis media even after breastfeeding has stopped.