Association of breastfeeding practices during the first 12 months and subsequent infant respiratory tract infections: a prospective cohort study

Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition.

We aimed to examine the association of breastfeeding practices during the first year of life with subsequent infant respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

The study was a secondary analysis embedded in the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort study. Information on infant breastfeeding was collected at 3, 6, and 12 months of age. Pediatrician-diagnosed infant RTIs and hospitalization for RTIs during 12–24 months were obtained at 24 months postpartum. Robust log-Poisson regression models were applied to explore the association of breastfeeding practices with RTIs risk and hospitalization due to RTIs.

Among the 5242 infants studied, 13.1% (n = 435) of infants received full breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for at least one year (F6-L). When compared with infants in the F6-L group, those who were formula fed (FF) had a higher risk of RTIs, including upper RTIS and lower RTIS, the adjusted RRs (95%CIs) were 1.34 (1.17, 1.53), 1.31 (1.12, 1.52), 1.59 (1.10, 2.31), respectively. When compared with infants in the F6-L group, the adjusted RRs (95%CIs) for hospitalization from RTIs was 1.88 (1.20, 2.95) for the FF group.

Full breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for at least one year was associated with a lower risk of subsequent infant RTIs and hospitalization from RTIs.