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Breast-Feeding Protects Children from Adverse Effects of Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Hanns Moshammer1, Hans-Peter Hutter2

  • 1Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria. hanns.moshammer@meduniwien.ac.at.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|January 26, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Breast-feeding protects children's lung function from passive smoking's harmful effects. This study highlights how early nutrition can mitigate environmental respiratory risks in developing lungs.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric environmental health
  • Respiratory medicine
  • Public health

Background:

  • Housing factors, such as passive smoking, are linked to lung function in children.
  • Breast-feeding is associated with improved lung function.
  • The interaction between breast-feeding and environmental stressors on respiratory health requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the protective effects of breast-feeding against environmental stressors, specifically passive smoking, are independent or interactive.
  • To determine if breast-feeding counteracts the detrimental effects of passive smoking on lung function in schoolchildren.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 433 schoolchildren aged 6-9 years from 9 Austrian schools.
  • Lung function was assessed in relation to housing factors, including passive smoking exposure.
  • The effect of passive smoking on lung function was stratified based on breast-feeding status.

Main Results:

  • Passive smoking was associated with reduced lung function.
  • This detrimental effect of passive smoking was significant only in children who were not breast-fed (n=53).
  • Children who had been breast-fed showed improved lung function, suggesting a protective effect against environmental stressors.

Conclusions:

  • Breast-feeding appears to counteract the negative impact of environmental stressors like passive smoking on the developing respiratory system.
  • Early life nutrition, specifically breast-feeding, plays a crucial role in mitigating the adverse effects of environmental exposures on children's lung health.
  • Findings underscore the importance of breast-feeding for respiratory resilience in children exposed to environmental pollutants.

Keywords:
breast-feedingearly life exposureslung functionpassive smokingprotective factors

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