Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Associations of breastfeeding with childhood autoimmunity, allergies, and overweight : The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study

Hummel, Sandra ; Weiß, Andreas ; Bonifacio, Ezio ; Agardh, Daniel LU ; Akolkar, Beena ; Aronsson, Carin A LU orcid ; Hagopian, William A ; Koletzko, Sibylle ; Krischer, Jeffrey P and Lernmark, Åke LU orcid , et al. (2021) In The American journal of clinical nutrition 114(1). p.134-142
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding has beneficial effects on numerous health outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether breastfeeding duration is associated with the development of early childhood autoimmunity, allergies, or obesity in a multinational prospective birth cohort.

METHODS: Infants with genetic susceptibility for type 1 diabetes (n = 8676) were followed for the development of autoantibodies to islet autoantigens or transglutaminase, allergies, and for anthropometric measurements to a median age of 8.3 y (IQR: 2.8-10.2 y). Information on breastfeeding was collected at 3 mo of age and prospectively thereafter. A propensity score for longer breastfeeding was calculated from the variables that were likely to influence any... (More)

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding has beneficial effects on numerous health outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether breastfeeding duration is associated with the development of early childhood autoimmunity, allergies, or obesity in a multinational prospective birth cohort.

METHODS: Infants with genetic susceptibility for type 1 diabetes (n = 8676) were followed for the development of autoantibodies to islet autoantigens or transglutaminase, allergies, and for anthropometric measurements to a median age of 8.3 y (IQR: 2.8-10.2 y). Information on breastfeeding was collected at 3 mo of age and prospectively thereafter. A propensity score for longer breastfeeding was calculated from the variables that were likely to influence any or exclusive breastfeeding. The risks of developing autoimmunity or allergy were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, and the risk of obesity at 5.5 y of age was assessed using logistic regression with adjustment by the propensity score.

RESULTS: Breastfeeding duration was not associated with a lower risk of either islet or transglutaminase autoimmunity (any breastfeeding >6 mo, adjusted HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; exclusive breastfeeding >3 mo, adjusted HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.15). Exclusive breastfeeding >3 mo was associated with a decreased risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis (adjusted HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.92; P < 0.01). Any breastfeeding >6 mo and exclusive breastfeeding >3 mo were associated with decreased risk of obesity (adjusted OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.81; P < 0.001; and adjusted OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.95; P < 0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Longer breastfeeding was not associated with a lower risk of childhood (islet or transglutaminase) autoimmunity in genetically at-risk children but was associated with decreased risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis and obesity at 5.5 y of age.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
author collaboration
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
The American journal of clinical nutrition
volume
114
issue
1
pages
134 - 142
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:33831944
  • scopus:85110689736
ISSN
1938-3207
DOI
10.1093/ajcn/nqab065
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bad65538-fb72-4974-9082-2ddae435f985
date added to LUP
2021-04-14 13:43:53
date last changed
2024-04-20 04:48:04
@article{bad65538-fb72-4974-9082-2ddae435f985,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding has beneficial effects on numerous health outcomes.</p><p>OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether breastfeeding duration is associated with the development of early childhood autoimmunity, allergies, or obesity in a multinational prospective birth cohort.</p><p>METHODS: Infants with genetic susceptibility for type 1 diabetes (n = 8676) were followed for the development of autoantibodies to islet autoantigens or transglutaminase, allergies, and for anthropometric measurements to a median age of 8.3 y (IQR: 2.8-10.2 y). Information on breastfeeding was collected at 3 mo of age and prospectively thereafter. A propensity score for longer breastfeeding was calculated from the variables that were likely to influence any or exclusive breastfeeding. The risks of developing autoimmunity or allergy were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, and the risk of obesity at 5.5 y of age was assessed using logistic regression with adjustment by the propensity score.</p><p>RESULTS: Breastfeeding duration was not associated with a lower risk of either islet or transglutaminase autoimmunity (any breastfeeding &gt;6 mo, adjusted HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.19; exclusive breastfeeding &gt;3 mo, adjusted HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.15). Exclusive breastfeeding &gt;3 mo was associated with a decreased risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis (adjusted HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.92; P &lt; 0.01). Any breastfeeding &gt;6 mo and exclusive breastfeeding &gt;3 mo were associated with decreased risk of obesity (adjusted OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.81; P &lt; 0.001; and adjusted OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.95; P &lt; 0.05, respectively).</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Longer breastfeeding was not associated with a lower risk of childhood (islet or transglutaminase) autoimmunity in genetically at-risk children but was associated with decreased risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis and obesity at 5.5 y of age.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hummel, Sandra and Weiß, Andreas and Bonifacio, Ezio and Agardh, Daniel and Akolkar, Beena and Aronsson, Carin A and Hagopian, William A and Koletzko, Sibylle and Krischer, Jeffrey P and Lernmark, Åke and Lynch, Kristian and Norris, Jill M and Rewers, Marian J and She, Jin-Xiong and Toppari, Jorma and Uusitalo, Ulla and Vehik, Kendra and Virtanen, Suvi M and Beyerlein, Andreas and Ziegler, Anette-G}},
  issn         = {{1938-3207}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{134--142}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{The American journal of clinical nutrition}},
  title        = {{Associations of breastfeeding with childhood autoimmunity, allergies, and overweight : The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab065}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/ajcn/nqab065}},
  volume       = {{114}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}