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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
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Effect of prolonged and exclusive breast feeding on risk of allergy and asthma: cluster randomised trial

Michael S Kramer1, Lidia Matush, Irina Vanilovich

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Canada. michael.kramer@mcgill.ca

BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|September 15, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding did not reduce childhood asthma or allergy risks by age 6.5. The study found no protective effect, and in some cases, increased allergy risks in the intervention group.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Public Health Interventions
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Current evidence on the long-term effects of breastfeeding on childhood asthma and allergies is mixed.
  • Understanding the impact of breastfeeding promotion interventions is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding lowers the risk of childhood asthma and allergy up to age 6.5 years.
  • To assess the effectiveness of a breastfeeding promotion intervention on allergy and asthma development.

Main Methods:

  • A cluster randomized trial involving 31 Belarussian maternity hospitals and 17,046 mother-infant pairs.
  • Intervention focused on breastfeeding promotion based on the WHO/UNICEF baby friendly hospital initiative.
  • Outcomes assessed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and skin prick tests.

Main Results:

  • The intervention significantly increased exclusive breastfeeding rates at 3 months (44.3% vs 6.4%) and overall breastfeeding prevalence up to 12 months.
  • No reduction in allergic symptoms, diagnoses, or positive skin prick tests was observed in the intervention group.
  • Excluding specific sites, allergy risks were significantly increased for four out of five antigens in the experimental group.

Conclusions:

  • Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding does not appear to offer a protective effect against childhood asthma or allergy.
  • The findings do not support current recommendations for breastfeeding solely for allergy prevention.
Abstract

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