Salmonella infection in infants is more common than in any other age group. Of the 50,000 cases reported in the United States, more than one-third of those are in children ages 4 and under.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics explored the causes and risk factors of salmonella in infants. Dr. Timothy Jones, deputy state epidemiologist, Tennessee Department of Health, is one of the authors of the study. He says that not only do infants have the highest rates of salmonella infection compared to other age groups, but the way they contract the infection is different from adults.

"In adults, foreign travel, consumption of undercooked eggs and poultry and many other risk factors are known, but prior to this study little was known about risk factors specifically in infants," Dr. Jones says.

According to Dr. Jones, the study shows 6 key differences between babies who get salmonella infection and those who don't:

1. Breastfed babies are less likely to get salmonella infection. Breastfeeding is well known to protect infants against many infectious diseases, and many other health problems.

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