title: Breastfeeding prevents severe disease in full term female infants with acute respiratory infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breastfeeding is a well-known protective factor against severe respiratory tract infections. Recently, a gender specific role for human milk has been described in very low birth weight infants and neonates: breast milk protected girls but not boys.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the protective effect of breastfeeding on the severity of acute respiratory infections in full term infants is different for girls and boys.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cross-sectional study of infants seeking medical care for acute respiratory infection. The protective role of breastfeeding against viral pneumonia and hospitalization were assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Analyses were adjusted for important confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 323 patients were enrolled in this study. Breastfeeding protected girls against pneumonia and hospitalization, but did not protect boys. Nonbreastfeeding females were particularly susceptible to severe acute respiratory infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Breastfeeding had a protective effect against severe disease in infant girls experiencing their first symptomatic respiratory infection. Nonbreastfeeding females are at significant risk for severe acute lung disease and should be targeted intensively by breastfeeding campaigns.
authors.affiliation: Fundacion INFANT, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Libster
authors.forename: Jimena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bugna Hortoneda
authors.forename: Federico R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Laham
authors.forename: Javier M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Casellas
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Israele
authors.forename: Norberto R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Polack
authors.forename: Maria Florencia
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Maria Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Fernando P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Polack
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012737:Sex Factors