July 28, 2006 -- New moms should breastfeed exclusively for six months to help protect their babies against developing food allergies later on, one of the nation's leading allergy and asthmagroups says.

Solid foods of all types should be avoided for the first six months, and certain items -- like cow's milk, eggs, fish, and nuts -- should not be introduced until even later, according to a consensus statement on infant feeding released this week by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

"It is important to understand that we are talking about exclusive breastfeeding, with no formula, soy or anything else," researcher Amal Assa'ad, MD, tells WebMD. "This appears to be important for protecting against allergies."

The ACAAI committee came up with its recommendations after reviewing the available clinical evidence. The consensus statement is published in July's Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology -- the journal of the ACAAI.