Breastfeeding
may help prevent children’s asthma exacerbations later in life

Date:

September 1, 2017

Source:

Wiley

Summary:

An
analysis of children with asthma, those who had been breastfed had a 45 percent
lower risk of asthma exacerbations later in life compared with children who had
not been breastfed.

In a Pediatric Allergy
and Immunology analysis of children with asthma, those who had been
breastfed had a 45% lower risk of asthma exacerbations later in life compared
with children who had not been breastfed.

Investigators analyzed
data from 960 children aged 4 to 12 years who were using regular asthma
medication.

“Although in our
study breastfeeding was shown to be a protective factor for asthma
exacerbations, it is still unclear whether there is a causal relation between
breastfeeding and asthma exacerbations; however the relation might be explained
by the influence of breastfeeding on the immune system. Changes in the
composition and activity of the gut microbiome in early life can influence the
immune system and these changes might indirectly lead to changes in asthma
later in life,” said Dr. Anke Maitland-van der Zee, senior author of the
study. “Further prospective research is warranted to confirm this
association and to clarify the underlying mechanisms.”

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Journal Reference:

1.    Fariba Ahmadizar, Susanne
J. H. Vijverberg, Hubertus G. M. Arets, Anthonius de Boer, Johan Garssen,
Aletta D. Kraneveld, Anke H. Maitland-van der Zee. Breastfeeding is
associated with a decreased risk of childhood asthma exacerbations later in
life. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 2017; DOI: 10.1111/pai.12760