A new study has found that babies who are genetically at risk from asthma have a 27 percent decreased risk of developing respiratory symptoms if they are breastfed.
The research, which was recently presented at the
European Respiratory Society’s International Congress in London, sheds new light on the interactions between genetics and the environment when it comes to asthma.
The study collected data from 368 Swiss babies on the frequency and intensity of their respiratory symptoms and whether they were breast-fed or not. The results showed that infants carrying genes that put them at increased risk for asthma had a 27 percent decrease in developing respiratory symptoms while being breast-fed.
However, once the asthma-prone babies were weaned, it seems that breastfeeding’s protection against asthma did not continue as the children showed a trend toward the risk going back up when they were not being breast-fed.
The researchers have stated that they need to replicate the study in another group of infants to see if their findings hold. If further studies demonstrate a similar outcome, it could lead to better ways to let those with asthma breathe easier.
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