Breastfeeding through the first year of infants' lives can lower their risk of asthma by colonizing their bodies with a healthy mix of microbes, a new study finds.

Human breast milk regulates a baby's mix of microbes, or microbiome, during the infant's first year of life. This in turn lowers the child's risk of developing asthma, a new study published in the journal Cell shows.

Scientists say human breast milk regulates a baby’s mix of microbes - or microbiome - during the child's first year of life.

Breastfeeding shapes infant microbiome, reducing asthma risk, especially within the first three months of milk intake.