I am the editor of the Swedish breastfeeding magazine Amningsnytt.  
I'm plannning to write an article about whether the type of feeding  
during the first months of life affects the prevalence of allergic  
disease - wheezing, asthma, eczema, IgE sensitivty (?).

I have read about
• Kramers study from Belarus, Association between breast feeding and  
asthma in 6 year old children:
findings of a prospective birth cohort study

• Gdalevich's systematic review, articles from 2001
- Breast-feeding and the risk of bronchial asthma in childhood: A  
systematic review with meta-analysis of prospective studies and
Breast-feeding and the onset of atopic dermatitis in childhood: A  
systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies

• The ISAAC study, article Effect of breastfeeding on asthma, lung  
function and bronchial hyperreactivity in ISAAC Phase II

• Inger Kull's doctoral thesis based on the BAMSE project in  
Stockholm: Infant Feeding and allergy in children

• An article from Canada published 2010, Early Life Factors  
Associated With Incidence of Physician-diagnosed Asthma in preschool  
Children: Results frpn the Canadian Early Childhood Development  
Cohort study.

I also have Lars Hanson's book and will read the chapter on allergy  
later.


What I'd like to discuss with you is if you know any other usefull  
articles on the subject. I also find I have some objections against  
the studies.

• In a Swedish perspective, Kramer's study might not be very useful.  
44 % of the children in the experient group were exclusively  
breastfed at 3 months, whereas 56% of the Swedish children were  
breastfed at 6 months , according to the latest statistics.

• The article about the ISAAC study clearly states that "not  
breastfed" is the reference, even though an overwhelming majority of  
the 54 000 children participating in the study were (ever) breastfed.  
The parents of 9-11 year old children are asked how long their child  
was breastfed. Is that reliable?
It says in one sentence, "In addition, any breastfeeding was related  
to a reduced lifetime prevalence of asthma in affluent countries",  
still the conclusion is mainly that breastfeeding isn't "protective"  
against allergenic wheezing". This really confuses me.

Is there anyone here who has entered deeply into this subject and is  
able to help me to sort out my thoughts?

Marit Olanders
editor of Amningsnytt, Sweden


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