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Is breast feeding a risk factor for eczema during the first year of life?

Manana Sariachvili1, Jos Droste, Sandra Dom

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. manana.sariachvili@ua.ac.be

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|June 15, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Breast feeding (BF) does not significantly impact infant eczema risk in the first year. However, the study suggests a potential link between BF and eczema that may depend on parental allergy history.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Allergology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Breast feeding (BF) offers numerous infant benefits, but its role in preventing allergic diseases remains debated.
  • Understanding factors influencing infant eczema is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between the duration of breast feeding (BF) and the development of eczema in infants within their first year of life.
  • To explore potential modifying effects of parental atopy on the BF-eczema relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective birth cohort study of 1128 infants, followed from 5 months of pregnancy.
  • Data collection included questionnaires, medical examinations, and allergy blood tests at 1 year of age.
  • Statistical analysis used adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess associations.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant association was found between the duration of breast feeding (BF) and eczema prevalence in the first year of life.
  • Eczema was associated with maternal atopy, higher maternal education, prenatal antibiotic use, and infant passive smoking.
  • Infant contact with dogs showed an inverse association with eczema.
  • While trends suggested a positive association between BF and eczema in non-atopic parented children and an inverse association in atopic parented children, these were not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

  • Breast feeding (BF) does not demonstrate a significant effect on the prevalence of eczema during the first year of life.
  • The relationship between breast feeding (BF) and infant eczema may be influenced by the presence of parental atopy.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the complex interplay between BF, genetics, and allergic disease development.

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