American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) — MedicalXPress, Wednesday 25 May 2022
A new study in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology shows that a longer period of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with decreased odds of current asthma. “The results of the study indicated that the longer a mother exclusively breastfed, the lower the relative odds of her child having asthma, or asthma-related outcomes,” said lead author Keadrea Wilson, MD, Assistant Professor of Neonatology at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The study combined three studies to achieve a large number of subjects — more than 2,000 mother-child pairs — with a demographic distribution including 38% Black and 6% Hispanic/Latina respondents.
There was a ‘dose-response’ effect depending on how long the mother breastfed: babies breastfed for 2–4 months had only 64% the likelihood of having as many asthma outcomes as those breastfed for less than 2 months; those breastfed for 5–6 months had 61% likelihood; and those breastfed for more than 6 months had a 52% likelihood. A further key finding was that duration of breastfeeding mixed with formula/juices/other foods (not exclusive breastfeeding) did not provide the same level of protection. Allergist Angela Hogan, MD, vice chair of the ACAAI Asthma Committee, noted: “Asthma runs in families, and if a child has a parent with asthma, they are three to six times more likely to develop this condition. Anything a parent can do to lower the odds of their child getting asthma is worth considering.”