Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Shugan Jieyu Capsules for the Treatment of Insomnia
04:34

Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Shugan Jieyu Capsules for the Treatment of Insomnia

Published on: February 17, 2023

1.7K

Association Between Breastfeeding and Childhood Breathing Patterns: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Eun Hae Park1,2,3, Jae-Gon Kim2,3,4, Yeon-Mi Yang2,3,4

  • 11 Department of Radiology, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital , Jeonju, Republic of Korea.

Breastfeeding Medicine : the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
|April 3, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding for over 6 months is associated with a lower prevalence of mouth breathing in children. Longer breastfeeding duration correlates with increased normal nasal respiration, supporting its role in healthy breathing patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Respiratory Physiology
  • Public Health Nutrition

Background:

  • Childhood breathing patterns are crucial for overall health and development.
  • Breastfeeding is recognized for its numerous health benefits, but its specific impact on respiratory patterns requires further elucidation.
  • Understanding the link between infant feeding practices and respiratory outcomes can inform public health recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze the association between breastfeeding duration and exclusive breastfeeding periods with childhood breathing patterns.
  • To synthesize current evidence on how breastfeeding influences the prevalence of mouth breathing versus nasal breathing in children.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane).
  • Inclusion criteria focused on observational studies examining breastfeeding and breathing patterns, with meta-analysis performed on extracted data.
  • The Newcastle-Ottawa Score assessed the quality and comparability of the included studies.

Main Results:

  • Three observational studies with 1,046 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
  • A significantly higher prevalence of mouth breathing was observed in children breastfed for less than 6 months (OR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.26-3.31).
  • No significant association was found between exclusive breastfeeding duration (≤6 months) and mouth breathing (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 0.73-2.21).

Conclusions:

  • Limited but supportive evidence suggests breastfeeding is associated with improved childhood breathing patterns.
  • Increased duration of breastfeeding appears to correlate with a higher frequency of normal nasal respiration.
  • Future research should address confounding factors, standardize mouth breathing diagnostics, and employ prospective designs to minimize bias.
Abstract

Keywords:
breastfeedingchildexclusive breastfeedingmeta-analysismouth breathingsystematic review

More Related Videos

Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns08:34

Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns

Published on: September 16, 2019

12.1K
Method to Obtain Pattern of Breathing in Senescent Mice through Unrestrained Barometric Plethysmography09:13

Method to Obtain Pattern of Breathing in Senescent Mice through Unrestrained Barometric Plethysmography

Published on: April 28, 2020

7.1K

Related Concept Videos

Breathing01:05

Breathing

The process of breathing, inhaling and exhaling, involves the coordinated movement of the chest wall, the lungs, and the muscles that move them. Two muscle groups with important roles in breathing are the diaphragm, located directly below the lungs, and the intercostal muscles, which lie between the ribs. When the diaphragm contracts, it moves downward, increasing the volume of the thoracic cavity and creating more room for the lungs to expand. When the intercostal muscles contract, the ribs...
64.7K
Review and Preview01:10

Review and Preview

In statistics, several tools are used to interpret the data. Measures of central tendency represent the characteristics of the data, such as mean, median, and mode. Additionally, measures of variance like standard deviation and range are used to find the spread of data from the mean. Relative standing measures the distance between data locations. Commonly used measures of relative standings are percentile, z score, and quartiles.
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
8.4K
Review and Preview01:13

Review and Preview

Data are individual items of information obtained from a population or sample. Data may be classified as qualitative (categorical), quantitative continuous, or quantitative discrete. Because it is not practical to measure the entire population in a study, researchers use samples to represent the population. A random sample is a representative group from the population chosen by using a method that gives each individual in the population an equal chance of being included in the sample. Random...
11.6K
Random and Systematic Errors01:20

Random and Systematic Errors

Scientists always try their best to record measurements with the utmost accuracy and precision. However, sometimes errors do occur. These errors can be random or systematic. Random errors are observed due to the inconsistency or fluctuation in the measurement process, or variations in the quantity itself that is being measured. Such errors fluctuate from being greater than or less than the true value in repeated measurements. Consider a scientist measuring the length of an earthworm using a...
15.3K
Directing Effect of Substituents: meta-Directing Groups01:09

Directing Effect of Substituents: meta-Directing Groups

Substituents on the benzene ring that direct an incoming electrophile to undergo substitution at the meta position are called meta directors. All meta directors either have a positive charge on the atom directly bonded to the ring or a partial positive charge. These groups function by withdrawing electrons from the ring through inductive and resonance effects. Consider the carbocation intermediates formed upon the addition of an electrophile on nitrobenzene at the...
6.0K
Systematic Sampling Method01:17

Systematic Sampling Method

Sampling is a technique to select a portion (or subset) of the larger population and study that portion (the sample) to gain information about the population. Data are the result of sampling from a population. The sampling method ensures that samples are drawn without bias and accurately represent the population. Because measuring the entire population in a study is not practical, researchers use samples to represent the population of interest.
Systematic sampling is one of the simplest methods...
13.4K