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Babies benefit from breast-feeding—they have a lower risk of infections, vomiting¹ and diarrhea and less of a chance of later developing adult onset² diabetes³. And now a study finds that being breast-fed helps protect infants who are genetically⁴ predisposed to be at risk for asthma⁵. The work was recently presented at the European Respiratory Society’s International Congress in London. [Olga Gorlanova et al., Interaction of 17q21 variants⁶ with breast-feeding in relation to respiratory symptoms in infancy]

Researchers collected data about 368 Swiss infants—such as the frequency and intensity⁷ of respiratory symptoms. They also tracked whether the infants were breast-fed. And they performed genomic analysis of the children.  

The results: infants carrying genes⁸ that put them at increased risk for asthma had a 27 percent decrease in developing respiratory symptoms while being breast-fed. The same children showed a trend toward the risk going back up when they were not being breast-fed.  

The study sheds light on the interactions between genes and the environment when it comes to asthma. The researchers note that they need to replicate⁹ the study in another group of infants to see if the findings hold. But if further work has a similar outcome, it could lead to better ways to let affected¹⁰ individuals breathe easier.

—Erika Beras