A prospective study, done in Vietnam, examined associations of breastfeeding with certain health parameters. They followed 1049 infants up until six months of age to determine the association between exclusive breastfeeding, and rates of admission for suspected pneumonia or diarrhea.
Pneumonia and diarrhea in children are the most common causes for morbidity and mortality globally. These illnesses also lead to many hospital visits in developing countries. Pneumonia and diarrhea experienced at an early age can lead to poor growth and development, nutritional deficiencies, economic burdens for families, and death. These consequences of disease are most common in the first two years of life.
Results showed that exclusive breastfeeding in early infancy led to a reduction in the severity of illnesses experienced by infants. Infants that were exclusively breastfed had fewer admissions to clinics and hospitals for suspected pneumonia and diarrhea, during the first six months of life. This stresses the importance of breastfeeding in the healthy development of a child, and the reduction of risk of severe illness.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4659222/