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Clinical manifestations of allergy related to breast and cows' milk feeding
Insights
Infant feeding practices impact allergy development. While eczema and rhinitis prevalence was similar, bottle-fed infants showed higher rates of asthma and bronchitis compared to breast-fed infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergology
- Immunology
Background:
- Allergic diseases are a significant concern in infancy.
- Early feeding methods may influence allergy development.
- Understanding risk factors like family history is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the incidence of allergic manifestations in infants based on initial feeding type (breast milk vs. cow's milk formula).
- To investigate the association between family history of allergy and infant allergic conditions.
- To assess the protective effect of breastfeeding against respiratory allergies.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study comparing infants initiated on breastfeeding versus cow's milk formula.
- Assessment of allergic signs including eczema, rhinitis, asthma, and bronchitis.
- Analysis of allergy prevalence in relation to parental allergic history.
Main Results:
- Eczema and rhinitis occurred with similar frequency in both breast-fed and formula-fed infants.
- Bottle-fed infants had a higher incidence of asthma and bronchitis than breast-fed infants.
- Infants with a positive family history of allergy showed increased allergy prevalence, particularly for asthma/bronchitis.
- Breastfeeding offered some protection against respiratory allergies in infants of non-allergic parents.
Conclusions:
- Initial feeding method plays a role in infant respiratory allergy development.
- Family history is a significant predictor of infant allergies.
- Breastfeeding may provide partial protection against respiratory allergies, especially in certain genetic predispositions.
Abstract:
The frequency of allergic manifestations in the first year of life was studied. The prevalence of allergic signs affecting the skin and respiratory tract in infants who had been started on breast feeding was compared with the prevalence of such signs in infants started on cows' milk formulae. The relationship of allergy to family history was investigated. Eczema and rhinitis were found to be present as often in the initially breast-fed group as in the initially cows' milk-fed group. Bottle-fed infants developed asthma and bronchitis more often than their breast-fed counterparts. Infants of allergic parents exhibited more allergy than those from non-allergic families, and this difference was particularly pronounced for asthma or bronchitis. Breast feeding gave some protection against the development of respiratory tract allergies in infants of non-allergic parents. Among the infants with a positive family history of allergy, fewer with eczema or chronic rhinitis were found in the initially breast-fed group group but this did not achieve statistical significance.