Breastfeeding cuts asthma risk

Children who are breastfed are less likely to develop asthma, the results of a new study indicate.

A team of UK researchers analysed 7,000 school children, aged six to 15. They focused specifically on the positive benefits of breastfeeding in relation to the prevalence of asthma.

They found that children who had been breastfed for six months or more had a significantly reduced risk of developing asthma. This was particularly the case among young boys.

“Breastfed children showed lower prevalence rates of asthma, rhinitis and eczema, and the effect of breast feeding was more evident in boys than girls. Asthma and wheeze were resolved significantly earlier in breastfed children than those who were not breastfed,” explained Dr Mohammad Shamssain of the University of Sunderland.

The study showed that overall, children who were breastfed for four to nine months had a significantly lower risk of asthma, while those breastfed for between seven and nine months had lower instances of persistent wheezing and coughing.

“Breast feeding is a cost effective approach to a significant prevention of allergic disease in children. Our research demonstrates that exclusive breastfeeding prevents the development of allergic diseases in children,” Dr Shamssain said.

In a second part of the study meanwhile, the researchers discovered that obese children had higher prevalence rates of asthma and respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, breathlessness and exercise-induced wheezing, than non-obese children.

“The association between overweight and exercise-induced wheezing is stronger in boys than girls. In boys, the risk of being overweight is associated with exercise-induced wheezing, life-time asthma, and current wheeze. In girls, the risk of being overweight is mainly associated with exercise-induced wheezing,” Dr Shamssain explained.

He said that the results demonstrate that obesity ‘is a definite risk factor in asthma among young children’.

Dr Shamssain presented his findings at the European Respiratory Society in Berlin last week.

For more information on asthma, see our Asthma Clinic at… http://www.irishhealth.com/clin/asthma/index.html

[Posted: Fri 17/10/2008]