Is the Relationship Between Breastfeeding and Childhood Risk of Asthma and XXXX Mediated by Infant Antibiotic Treatment?

@entity1 @entity565 @entity28
BACKGROUND: Studies of the protective effect of breastfeeding on @entity565 have not brought unequivocal results, and thus this issue remains controversial. Antibiotic use, known to increase @entity565 risk, may be involved in this relationship. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of breastfeeding duration on @entity28 and @entity565 risk in childhood and to test a mediating role of antibiotic use in infancy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional anthropometric and questionnaire study was conducted on 1,277 schoolchildren 8 years of age. Data on weight status, @entity565 , breastfeeding duration, antibiotic administration in infancy, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle were analyzed. Multivariate standard and logistic regression and mediation analyses, controlling for confounders, were applied. RESULTS: Total duration of breastfeeding was negatively related to the @entity1 's body mass index (p=0.038), fat percentage (p=0.030), and @entity28 risk (p=0.032). Dropping the variable of antibiotic use from the model made the breastfeeding duration a significant predictor of low @entity565 risk (p=0.027). Antibiotic treatment mediated the relationship between breastfeeding duration and @entity565 risk (Sobel's z=-2.61, p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support protective effects of longer duration of breastfeeding against @entity28 and @entity565 . We propose a new mechanism for a relationship between breastfeeding and @entity565 : shorter breastfeeding compromises @entity1 health and thereby leads to antibiotic treatment, which in turn increases the risk of @entity565 .
