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Breastfeeding and childhood hospitalizations for asthma and other wheezing disorders

June Y Y Leung1, Man Ki Kwok1, Gabriel M Leung1

  • 1School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Annals of Epidemiology
|November 13, 2015
PubMed

Insights

This study found no link between breastfeeding and reduced hospitalizations for childhood asthma or wheezing disorders in Hong Kong Chinese children. Breastfeeding did not significantly protect against these respiratory conditions up to age 12.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory health
  • Epidemiology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Western studies suggest breastfeeding reduces childhood wheezing, but socioeconomic factors may confound results.
  • Unique social patterns of breastfeeding in developed non-Western settings warrant specific investigation.
  • Understanding breastfeeding's impact on respiratory health is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between breastfeeding and childhood asthma and wheezing disorders in a developed non-Western population.
  • To investigate if breastfeeding protects against hospital admissions for asthma, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis.
  • To account for potential confounding factors like socioeconomic position.

Main Methods:

  • A population-representative birth cohort of 8327 Hong Kong Chinese children was analyzed.
  • Cox regression models were used to assess adjusted associations.
  • Hospital admissions for asthma, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis (ICD-9 codes 466, 490, 493) from 3 months to 12 years were examined.

Main Results:

  • No significant association was found between exclusive breastfeeding (≥3 months) and reduced hospitalizations for asthma, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.63-1.25).
  • Partial breastfeeding or exclusive breastfeeding (<3 months) also showed no association (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.86-1.21).
  • No association was observed for exclusive breastfeeding (≥3 months) with asthma hospitalizations specifically (HR 1.27, 95% CI 0.82-1.98).

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding was not associated with a reduced risk of childhood hospitalizations for asthma and other wheezing disorders in this Chinese birth cohort.
  • The findings suggest that the protective effect of breastfeeding on wheezing disorders may not be universal across different cultural and socioeconomic contexts.
  • Further research may be needed to explore other factors influencing childhood respiratory health in diverse populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
AsthmaBreastfeedingChildrenCohort studySocioeconomic positionWheeze

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