TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal milk protects infants against bronchiolitis during the first year of life
T2 - Results from an Italian cohort of newborns
AU - Lanari, Marcello
AU - Prinelli, Federica
AU - Adorni, Fulvio
AU - Di Santo, Simona
AU - Faldella, Giacomo
AU - Silvestri, Michela
AU - Musicco, Massimo
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - Objective: Bronchiolitis is one of the primary causes of hospitalization in infancy. We evaluated the effect of breastfeeding on the occurrence of hospitalization for bronchiolitis in the first year of life. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 1,814 newborns of =33 weeks of gestational age (wGA) were enrolled in 30 Italian Neonatology Units and followed-up for 1 year to assess hospitalizations for bronchiolitis. Children were grouped as 'never breastfed' and 'ever breastfed'; these latter were further divided into those 'exclusively breastfed' and 'breastfed associated with milk formula'. The risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis was evaluated with survival analysis, and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval [95% CI] were calculated. Results: Among enrolled newborns 22.9% were 'never breastfed'; in the breastfed group, 65% were 'exclusively breastfed' and 35% were 'breastfed with associated milk formula'. At 12 months of age, the risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis was significantly higher in the 'never breastfed' group (HR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.00-2.48). 'Breastfed associated with formula milk' and 'exclusively breastfed' groups were at similar risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis. This observed protective effect of maternal milk was not explained by the higher prevalence of conditions able to increase the risk of bronchiolitis among 'never breastfed newborns'. Conclusions: Breastfeeding, even in association with formula milk, reduces the risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis during the first year of life. Encouraging breastfeeding might be an effective/inexpensive measure of prevention of lower respiratory tract infections in infancy.
AB - Objective: Bronchiolitis is one of the primary causes of hospitalization in infancy. We evaluated the effect of breastfeeding on the occurrence of hospitalization for bronchiolitis in the first year of life. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 1,814 newborns of =33 weeks of gestational age (wGA) were enrolled in 30 Italian Neonatology Units and followed-up for 1 year to assess hospitalizations for bronchiolitis. Children were grouped as 'never breastfed' and 'ever breastfed'; these latter were further divided into those 'exclusively breastfed' and 'breastfed associated with milk formula'. The risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis was evaluated with survival analysis, and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval [95% CI] were calculated. Results: Among enrolled newborns 22.9% were 'never breastfed'; in the breastfed group, 65% were 'exclusively breastfed' and 35% were 'breastfed with associated milk formula'. At 12 months of age, the risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis was significantly higher in the 'never breastfed' group (HR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.00-2.48). 'Breastfed associated with formula milk' and 'exclusively breastfed' groups were at similar risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis. This observed protective effect of maternal milk was not explained by the higher prevalence of conditions able to increase the risk of bronchiolitis among 'never breastfed newborns'. Conclusions: Breastfeeding, even in association with formula milk, reduces the risk of hospitalization for bronchiolitis during the first year of life. Encouraging breastfeeding might be an effective/inexpensive measure of prevention of lower respiratory tract infections in infancy.
KW - Breastfeeding
KW - Bronchiolitis
KW - Lower respiratory tract infection
KW - Respiratory syncytial virus
KW - Risk factor
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U2 - 10.1016/S0378-3782(13)70016-1
DO - 10.1016/S0378-3782(13)70016-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 23809352
AN - SCOPUS:84879828014
VL - 89
JO - Early Human Development
JF - Early Human Development
SN - 0378-3782
IS - SUPPL.1
ER -