Lactancia materna: mejora la función pulmonar del niño

El esfuerzo que hace el recién nacido (RN) para mamar produce efectos beneficiosos en la función pulmonar para toda la vida. Investigadores de la Universidad de Southampton y de la Universidad de Michigan estudiaron durante 10 años 1,456 niños de la isla de Wight.

Los niños que mamaron durante al menos 4 meses tenían función pulmonar mucho más efectiva en los años siguientes de la infancia. Un tercio de los niños mamaron al menos 4 meses, con independencia de que sus madres fueran asmáticas os sufrieran alergias. El Dr Syed Arshad, de la Universidad de Southampton, sostiene que lo que estuvieron haciendo esos niños es como un entrenamiento o ejercicio pulmonar, similar a la rehabilitación pulmonar de los adultos. La consecuencia es la mejor ventilación y menos catarros pulmonares que los niños que mamamron menos. Más sorprendente es que los niños que mamaron más de 6 meses tuvieron menos asma que los que mamaron menos.

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Ogbuanu IU, Karmaus W, Arshad SH, Kurukulaaratchy RJ, Ewart S. Effect of breastfeeding duration on lung function at age 10 years: a prospective birth cohort study. Thorax. 2009 Jan;64(1):62-6.

Dr I U Ogbuanu, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Norman J Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

INTRODUCTION: The protective effects of breastfeeding on early life respiratory infections are established, but there have been conflicting reports on protection from asthma in late childhood. The association of breastfeeding duration and lung function was assessed in 10-year-old children. METHODS: In the Isle of Wight birth cohort (n = 1456), breastfeeding practices and duration were prospectively assessed at birth and at subsequent follow-up visits (1 and 2 years). Breastfeeding duration was categorised as "not breastfed" (n = 196); "<2 months" (n = 243); "2 to <4 months" (n = 142) and ">/=4 months" (n = 374). Lung function was measured at age 10 years (n = 1033): forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)), FEV(1)/FVC ratio and peak expiratory flow (PEF). Maternal history of asthma and allergy was assessed at birth. The effect of breastfeeding on lung function was analysed using general linear models, adjusting for birth weight, sex, current height and weight, family social status cluster and maternal education. RESULTS: Compared with those who were not breastfed, FVC was increased by 54.0 (SE 21.1) ml (p = 0.001), FEV(1) by 39.5 (20.1) ml(p = 0.05) and PEF by 180.8 (66.1) ml/s (p = 0.006) in children who were breastfed for at least 4 months. In models for FEV(1) and PEF that adjusted for FVC, the effect of breastfeeding was retained only for PEF (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding for at least 4 months enhances lung volume in children. The effect on airflow appears to be mediated by lung volume changes. Future studies need to elucidate the mechanisms that drive this phenomenon.

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