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Breast feeding, obesity, and asthma association: clinical and molecular views

Naghmeh Kian1,2,3, Alireza Bagheri2,3,4, Fardis Salmanpour2,3,5

  • 1Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Clinical and Molecular Allergy : CMA
|October 3, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding may protect children from asthma and obesity. Human milk leptin may influence infant weight and immune responses, but more research is needed on confounding factors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric immunology
  • Nutritional science
  • Public health

Background:

  • Asthma and pediatric obesity are global health concerns.
  • Breastfeeding is increasingly recognized as a potential factor influencing both conditions.
  • Leptin in human milk is hypothesized to play a role in infant weight regulation and immune development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential impact of breastfeeding on pediatric asthma and obesity.
  • To investigate the role of leptin in human milk regarding infant weight and immune responses.
  • To identify potential confounding factors in the relationship between breastfeeding, asthma, and obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature on breastfeeding, leptin, pediatric obesity, and asthma.
  • Analysis of proposed molecular mechanisms of leptin's action on immune cells (TH1/TH2 responses).
  • Identification of potential confounding variables such as duration of breastfeeding, and parental/prenatal factors.

Main Results:

  • Leptin in human milk may be inversely associated with newborn weight gain.
  • Leptin might modulate the immune system by promoting T-helper 1 (TH1) and suppressing T-helper 2 (TH2) cytokine responses.
  • Previous studies suggest a protective role for breastfeeding against both obesity and asthma.

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding may offer protection against pediatric obesity and asthma.
  • Leptin's influence on infant weight and immune pathways is a key area of investigation.
  • Further research is necessary to elucidate the complex interplay of breastfeeding, leptin, and other factors in preventing childhood asthma and obesity.

Keywords:
AsthmaBreast milkBreastfeedingObesityOverweight

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