The Role of Breastfeeding in Childhood Otitis Media

Abstract

There is clear evidence that breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of OM in childhood with sound biological plausibility to support that the association is likely causal. Any breastfeeding reduces OM risk in early childhood by 40-50 %. Systematic reviews also support a further reduced risk for continued breastfeeding. Recent studies have estimated burden of disease savings if breastfeeding within countries and globally approached WHO guidelines. Cost savings per year for reduced cases of OM by increasing ever and exclusive breastfeeding rates are estimated to be millions of pounds or dollars for UK and Mexico. Breastfeeding reduces OM in children. The burden of disease and economic impact of increasing breastfeeding rates and duration would be substantial.

Breastfeeding Status and Duration and Infections, Hospitalizations for Infections, and Antibiotic Use in the First Two Years of Life in the ELFE Cohort

“…Unfortunately, data on diarrhea occurrence were not collected. Contrary to a previous meta-analysis conducted in industrialized countries [12], a lower risk of otitis has not been related to breastfeeding duration. A possible explanation may be the restrictive classification (<3 or ≥3 events) applied in the ELFE questionnaires, not allowing the distinguishing of absence of event from low frequency of events (1 or 2).…”

Epidemiology of Acute Otitis Media in the Postpneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Era

“…Teele et al 1 also found that breastfed infants had lower risk of AOM as well as recurrent AOM, which is consistent with many other studies. 35,40,44,58,59 Sabirov et al 60 have shown the likely mechanism by which breastfeeding decreases risk of AOM; breastfeeding stimulates the immune response of infants, measured as higher concentrations of antibodies against otopathogens.…”

Risk of childhood otitis media with focus on potentially modifiable factors: A Danish follow-up cohort study

“…The protective effect of breastfeeding against early life infections has been described in recent publications [11,[28][29][30][31]. In some studies the effect seems to last well beyond early childhood while other studies suggest a more temporary effect [32,33].…”