A new study suggests breastfeeding better prepares a baby’s stomach for the transition to solid food.
The discovery is based on examining bacteria in nine babies as they grew from two weeks to fourteen months old.
After solids were introduced, babies who were exclusively breastfed had fewer bacterial changes meaning an easier transition for the baby.
Breastfed babies also had much larger amounts of a type of bacteria known to help with digestion.
Experts say more research is needed, but that bacteria appears to impact the risk of obesity, allergies and gastrointestinal problems.