Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and gastrointestinal infections (GI) in infancy are common. A team of Dutch researchers has examined the association of exclusive breastfeeding with the risk of these infections in 4164 newborns between 0 and 12 months. The researchers characterised the mothers as breastfeeding their babies never, partial for less than four months but not thereafter, partial for four to six months, exclusive for four months but not thereafter, exclusive for four months and partial thereafter, and exclusive for six months. After analysing the questionnaires, the researchers found "Compared with never-breastfed infants, those who were breastfed exclusively until the age of four months and partially thereafter had lower risks of infections [URTI, LRTI and GI] until the age of six months… and of LRTI infections between the ages of seven and 12 months.” Similar tendencies were observed for infants exclusively breastfed for six months or longer. However, partial breastfeeding, even for six months, did not result in significantly lower risks of these infections. In their report in the 1 July 2010 issue of Pediatrics, the researchers concluded, “Our findings support health policy strategies to promote exclusive breastfeeding for at least four months, but preferably six months, in industrialised countries."