21 Jan 2010, 1145 hrs IST

Feed your child porridge from an early age to protect him/her against asthma, suggests a new research.

In the study, researchers found that the risk of asthma later in childhood was reduced by almost two-thirds in babies first fed oats before they reach five months, compared with those introduced to them later, reports The Daily Express.

To reach the conclusion, Finnish scientists studied almost 1,300 children between 1996 and 2000.

The results have been published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

The researchers said: "Our findings imply that delaying the introduction of oats in infancy may increase the risk of asthma by the age of five in some children.

"Animal and cell experiments suggest oats may affect the immune system and have anti-inflammatory properties."

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