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Published on: August 7, 2017
Breastfeeding and asthma among Brazilian children
I Romieu1, G Werneck, S Ruiz Velasco
1Pan American Health Organization, Mexico. iromieu@insp3.insp.mx
Insights
Breastfeeding is linked to fewer asthma and wheeze symptoms in children. Children not breastfed were more likely to have asthma, especially if they had no family history of the condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Asthma and wheeze are common chronic respiratory conditions in children.
- Breastfeeding is recognized for its numerous health benefits, including potential immunomodulatory effects.
- Understanding environmental and lifestyle factors influencing childhood respiratory health is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between breastfeeding duration and the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms, specifically asthma and wheeze, in Brazilian schoolchildren.
- To explore whether this association differs based on family history of asthma.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 5,182 Brazilian schoolchildren aged 7-14 years.
- Data collected through the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol.
- Statistical analysis, including logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounding factors.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of medically diagnosed asthma was 4.6% and current wheeze was 11.9%.
- Children not breastfed showed a higher likelihood of asthma diagnosis (OR=1.51) and wheezing after exercise (OR=1.51) compared to those breastfed for over 6 months.
- These associations were more pronounced in children without a family history of asthma.
Conclusions:
- High breastfeeding rates in the study population may contribute to the observed low prevalence of asthma and wheeze.
- Breastfeeding appears to be a protective factor against chronic respiratory symptoms in children, particularly those without a genetic predisposition to asthma.
Abstract:
We examined the association of breastfeeding and the presence of chronic respiratory symptoms among 5,182 Brazilian schoolchildren 7-14 years of age who were participants in the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The prevalence of medically diagnosed asthma and current wheeze were respectively 4.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.0%-5.2%) and 11.9% (95% CI 11.0%-12.8%). Ninety percent of the mothers in our study population had breastfed their child. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, we found that children who had not been breastfed were more likely to have a medical diagnosis of asthma (odds ration [OR] = 1 .51, 95% CI 1.00-2.51), experience current wheeze (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.96-1.74), and wheeze after exercise (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.01-2.27) than children who had been breastfed for more than 6 months. This effect was only present among children with no family history of asthma (OR = 1.54, 95% CI 0.90-2.42 for medical diagnosis of asthma; OR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.93-1.75 for current wheezing; and OR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.12-2.6 for wheeze after exercise). We conclude that the low prevalence of asthma and wheeze observed in our population may be partly related to the high level of breastfeeding.
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