Vaccination News Home Page

http://adc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/archdischild;87/6/478

Full Text of this Article Reprint (PDF) Version of this Article Email this link to a friend eLetters: Submit a response to this article Similar articles found in: ADC Online PubMed PubMed Citation Search Medline for articles by: Kull, I || Pershagen, G Alert me when: new articles cite this article   Download to Citation Manager

Collections under which this article appears: Allergy Asthma Breastfeeding and infant nutrition

Archives of Disease in Childhood 2002;87:478-481
© 2002 Archives of Disease in Childhood
 

Breast feeding and allergic diseases in infants—a prospective birth cohort study

I Kull¹, M Wickman¹, G Lilja², S L Nordvall³ and G Pershagen⁴

¹ Department of Environmental Health, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
² Sachss’ Children’s Hospital, Institutet of Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
³ Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
⁴ Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Correspondence to:
Dr M Wickman, Department of Environmental Health, Norrbacka Building, Level 3, Karolinska Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden;
magnus.wickman@smd.sll.se

Aims: To investigate the effect of breast feeding on allergic disease in infants up to 2 years of age.

Methods: A birth cohort of 4089 infants was followed prospectively in Stockholm, Sweden. Information about various exposures was obtained by parental questionnaires when the infants were 2 months old, and about allergic symptoms and feeding at 1 and 2 years of age. Duration of exclusive and partial breast feeding was assessed separately. Symptom related definitions of various allergic diseases were used. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated in a multiple logistic regression model. Adjustments were made for potential confounders.

Results: Children exclusively breast fed during four months or more exhibited less asthma (7.7% v 12%, OR_adj = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.8), less atopic dermatitis (24% v 27%, OR_adj = 0.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.0), and less suspected allergic rhinitis (6.5% v 9%, OR_adj = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.0) by 2 years of age. There was a significant risk reduction for asthma related to partial breast feeding during six months or more (OR_adj = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.9). Three or more of five possible allergic disorders—asthma, suspected allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergy related symptoms, and suspected allergic respiratory symptoms after exposure to pets or pollen—were found in 6.5% of the children. Exclusive breast feeding prevented children from having multiple allergic disease (OR_adj = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.9) during the first two years of life.

Conclusion: Exclusive breast feeding seems to have a preventive effect on the early development of allergic disease—that is, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and suspected allergic rhinitis, up to 2 years of age. This protective effect was also evident for multiple allergic disease.

Keywords: allergy; asthma; breast feeding; prevention

Abbreviations: AD, atopic dermatitis; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; SAD, severe symptoms of allergic disease; SAR, suspected allergic rhinitis; SARS, suspected allergic respiratory symptoms

Vaccination News Home Page

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.