title: Breastfeeding and childhood hospitalizations for asthma and other wheezing disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Observationally in Western settings, breastfeeding is associated with less childhood wheezing disorders but may be confounded by socioeconomic position. We examined the association of breastfeeding with asthma and other wheezing disorders in a developed non-Western setting with unique social patterning of breastfeeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using Cox regression, we examined the adjusted associations of breastfeeding with public hospital admissions for asthma, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Version. Clinical Modification: 466, 490, and 493) from 3 months to 12 years in a population-representative birth cohort of 8327 Hong Kong Chinese children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We did not find an association of exclusive breastfeeding for 3 months or more, compared with never breastfeeding, with hospitalization for asthma, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis to 12 years (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63-1.25) nor for partial breastfeeding for any length of time or exclusive breastfeeding for less than 3 months (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.86-1.21), adjusted for infant and parental characteristics and socioeconomic position. We also did not find an association of exclusive breastfeeding for 3 months or more with hospitalization for asthma only (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Version. Clinical Modification: 493) (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.82-1.98).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a large population-representative Chinese birth cohort, we did not find an association of breastfeeding with childhood hospitalizations for asthma and other wheezing disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: June Y Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Man Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Gabriel M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; City University of New York School of Public Health and Hunter College, New York. Electronic address: cms1@hkucc.hku.hk.
authors.forename: C Mary
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schooling
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065840:Protective Factors; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Asthma; Breastfeeding; Children; Cohort study; Socioeconomic position; Wheeze