Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Epidemiology of asthma, rhinitis and allergy
Disease area: Airway diseases, Paediatric lung diseases

Abstract

We studied 4000 schoolchildren from the north east of England. We used ISAAC questionnaire (The International of Asthma and Alergies in Childhood) and questions related to breast feeding. The table shows the prevalence rates in children breastfed from asthmatic and non-asthmatic mothers. The study shows that children breastfed from asthmatic and non-asthmatic mothers had significantly lower prevalence rates of asthma and respiratory symptoms compared to those who were not breastfed. Breast feeding delays the onset of asthma and wheeze in these children.

Symptoms	Mothers with asthma Breastfed	Mothers with asthma Not breastfed	Mothers without asthma Breastfed	Mother without asthma Not breastfed
Ever wheezed	44.8	57.5	28.2	31.8
Current wheeze	35.1	46.2	14.4	18.6
Number of Wheezing episodes None	5.8	13.2	10.4	12.0
Number of wheezing episodes 1-3	18.8	29.3	10.5	12.4
Number of wheezing episodes 4-12	14.3	13.2	2.8	5.0
Number of wheezing episodes >12	2.6	4.0	1.2	1.1
Woken by wheeze Never	14.3	23.0	15.7	18.7
Woken by wheeze <1 each week	16.9	16.1	6.6	6.4
Woken by wheeze >=1 each week	10.4	16.7	1.7	4.8
Limitation of speech	6.5	10.3	2.0	2.7
Asthma ever	44,8	46.6	23.1	26.8
Wheeze with exercise	26.0	35.6	11.7	14.9
Night-time cough	37.7	40.2	21.7	23.3

Rating:

Share or cite this content

Citations should be made in the following way:
M. Shamssain, N. Shamsian (Sunderland, United Kingdom). Breast feeding reduces prevalence rates of asthma and allergic disorders in children. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 797

Member's Comments

No comment yet.

Related content which might interest you: Is prevalence of asthma, respiratory symptoms and allergic sensitisation still increasing in Swedish children? Source: Annual Congress 2007 - Allergy and asthma - environmental and metabolic risk factors Year: 2007 Effects of breast feeding on the prevalence rates of asthma, rhinitis and eczema in Chinese school children Source: Annual Congress 2012 - Clinical aspects and treatment of asthma and allergic respiratory diseases Year: 2012 Effects of dietary prevention on the incidence of respiratory allergy symptoms in high atopic risk infants Source: Eur Respir J 2005; 26: Suppl. 49, 451s Year: 2005 Breast feeding, early and late-onset of asthma, wheezing and atopic eczema are associated in schoolchildren Source: Eur Respir J 2003; 22: Suppl. 45, 288s Year: 2003 Effect of breast feeding on the prevalance rates of asthma, rhinitis and eczema Source: Annual Congress 2008 - Asthma epidemiology Year: 2008 Breast feeding and allergic disorders in infancy and childhood Source: Eur Respir J 2006; 28: Suppl. 50, 249s Year: 2006 The prevalence of allergic rhinitis among adult patients with diagnoses of asthma in childhood Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 119s Year: 2002 The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in working children Source: Eur Respir J 2007; 30: Suppl. 51, 400s Year: 2007 The prevalence of atopic diseases in children of childhood asthmatic adults Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 336s Year: 2002 Asthma and respiratory allergy prevalence is still increasing among Finnish young adults Source: Eur Respir J 2016; 47: 985-987 Year: 2016 Mediterranean diet reduces risk of asthma and allergic rhinitis in Mexican children Source: Annual Congress 2007 - Allergy and asthma - environmental and metabolic risk factors Year: 2007 Decreased asthma prevalence in farm-reared children Source: Annual Congress 2004 - Risk factors for the development of asthma Year: 2004 The relationship between prevalence and severity of asthma and allergic disorders and pets Source: Eur Respir J 2004; 24: Suppl. 48, 600s Year: 2004 No further Increase in asthma, hayfever and atopic sensitisation rates in Swiss adolescents Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 335s Year: 2002 Exposure to gastro-intestinal pathogens is associated with lower risk of atopy but not asthma in young UK adults Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 7s Year: 2002 Asthma with and without rhinitis and eczema in adults: prevalence, sensitization profile, and risk factors Source: Virtual Congress 2020 – Risk factors for chronic lung diseases Year: 2020 Is asthma prevalence increasing in children? Source: International Congress 2014 – Is asthma prevalence still increasing? Year: 2014 Changes in the society and in the prevalence of childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis in Italy Source: Eur Respir J 2004; 24: Suppl. 48, 140s Year: 2004 Risk for current asthma and rhinitis symptoms in young adolescents with ever-diagnosed eczema Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Allergy and risk factors in paediatrics Year: 2010 Prevalence rate of asthma,rhinitis and eczema in children in Serbia Source: Annual Congress 2003 - Worldwide variations of childhood asthma Year: 2003