title: Breast-feeding and atopic disease: a cohort study from childhood to middle age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The literature regarding the association between breast-feeding and atopic diseases has been contradictory.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We have assessed the relationship between breast-feeding and atopic disorders in a cohort followed into middle age.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Tasmanian Asthma Study is a population-based prospective cohort study that has followed participants from the age of 7 to 44 years. Exclusive breast-feeding in the first 3 months of life was examined as a risk factor for atopic diseases by using multiple logistic regression and generalized estimating equation analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At age 7 years, exclusively breast-fed children with a maternal history of atopy had a marginally lesser risk of current asthma than those not exclusively breast-fed (odds ratio [OR], 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6-1.0). However, after age 7 years, the risk reversed, and exclusively breast-fed children had an increased risk of current asthma at 14 (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02-2.07), 32 (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.06-3.3), and 44 (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.15-2.14) years. Exclusively breast-fed children also had a reduced risk of food allergy at age 7 years but an increased risk of food allergy (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.1-1.5) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0-1.3) at 44 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exclusively breast-fed babies with a maternal history of atopy were less likely to develop asthma before the age of 7 years, but more likely to develop asthma after the age of 7 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current recommendation to breast-feed high-risk infants for protection against early wheezing illness can be confirmed. However, the recommendation should be reconsidered for protection against allergic asthma and atopy in the longer term.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic & Analytic Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. mcmat@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Melanie Claire
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Matheson
authors.forename: Bircan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erbas
authors.forename: Aindralal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balasuriya
authors.forename: Mark Andrew
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Cathryn Leisa
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wharton
authors.forename: Mimi Lai-Kuan
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Michael John
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: Eugene Haydn
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: John Llewelyn
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: Shyamali Chandrika
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Dharmage
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D013648:Tasmania / Q000453:epidemiology