Breast-feeding and the prevalence of asthma and wheeze in children

[Guest guest]

February 2003, part 1 . Volume 111 . Number 2

Asthma, Rhinitis, Other Respiratory Diseases

Breast-feeding and the prevalence of asthma and wheeze

in children: Analyses from the third national health

and nutrition examination survey, 1988-1994

C. Chulada, PhD, MHSa [MEDLINE LOOKUP]

J. Arbes Jr, DDS, PhD, MPHb [MEDLINE LOOKUP]

Dunson, PhDc [MEDLINE LOOKUP]

Darryl C. Zeldin, MDb [MEDLINE LOOKUP]

Research Triangle Park, NC

Abstract

Background: Asthma prevalence has increased

dramatically in recent years, especially among

children. Breast-feeding might protect children

against asthma and related conditions (recurrent

wheeze), and this protective effect might depend on

the duration and exclusivity of the breast-feeding

regimen.

Objective: We sought to determine whether there is an

association between breast-feeding and asthma,

recurrent wheeze, or both in children up to 72 months

of age and whether the duration and exclusivity of

breast-feeding affect this association.

Methods: Data were from the third National Health and

Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally

representative cross-sectional survey conducted from

1988 to 1994. We tested for significant associations

between breast-feeding and physician-diagnosed asthma

and recurrent wheeze ( 3 episodes in the past 12

months) before and after adjusting for potential

confounders.

Results: Crude analyses showed that breast-feeding was

associated with significantly reduced risks for asthma

and recurrent wheeze in children 2 to 71 months of

age, but after adjusting for potential confounders,

these overall protective associations attenuated and

were no longer statistically significant. However, 2

new and important associations were revealed after

adjusting for confounders: (1) compared with never

breast-fed children, ever breast-fed children had

significantly reduced odds of being diagnosed with

asthma and of having recurrent wheeze before 24 months

of age, and (2) among children 2 to 71 months of age

who had been exposed to environmental tobacco smoke,

those who had ever been breast-fed had significantly

reduced risks of asthma and wheeze compared with those

who had never been breast-fed.

Conclusions: Breast-feeding might delay the onset of

or actively protect children less than 24 months of

age against asthma and recurrent wheeze.

Breast-feeding might reduce the prevalence of asthma

and recurrent wheeze in children exposed to

environmental tobacco smoke. (J Allergy Clin Immunol

2003;111:328-36.)