title: Breastfeeding and snoring: a birth cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and snoring in childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cohort of children with a family history of asthma who were recruited antenatally we prospectively recorded data on infant feeding practices throughout the first year of life. Snoring status and witnessed sleep apnea were measured at age 8 years by parent-completed questionnaire. Associations were estimated by logistic regression with, and without, adjustment for sets of confounders designed to exclude biasing effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Habitual snoring was reported in 18.8% of the sample, and witnessed apnea in 2.7%. Any breastfeeding for longer than one month was associated with a reduced risk of habitual snoring at age 8 (adjusted OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.81) and duration of breastfeeding was inversely associated with the prevalence of habitual snoring (adjusted OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.00). Any breastfeeding for longer than 1 month was associated with a lower risk of witnessed sleep apnea (adjusted OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.71). The protective associations were not mediated by BMI, current asthma, atopy or rhinitis at age 8 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Breastfeeding for longer than one month decreases the risk of habitual snoring and witnessed apneas in this cohort of children with a family history of asthma. The underlying mechanism remains unclear but the finding would be consistent with a beneficial effect of the breast in the mouth on oropharyngeal development with consequent protection against upper airway dysfunction causing sleep-disordered breathing.
authors.affiliation: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; The University of Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Bronwyn K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Brew
authors.affiliation: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; The University of Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Guy B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ; Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Lung and Allergy Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Almqvist
authors.affiliation: The University of Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cistulli
authors.affiliation: Atkins Center for Weight and Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.affiliation: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; The University of Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; The University of Sydney Nursing School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Nathaniel S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001315:Australia; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors