Between and however, research into the potential causal and preventative relationships between SIDS and breastfeeding reported findings that were inconclusive once confounding factors were controlled for in study analyses 10, Between research studies, variation in subject selection criteria, definitions used in different countries for SIDS and SUDI, definitions for breastfeeding exposure, and adjustment for potential confounders such as sleep position, smoking status, head covering and socioeconomic status, have each contributed to the difficulty in rigorously evaluating the evidence to determine if breastfeeding was an independent protective factor for reducing the risk of sudden infant deaths 1,5, The National SIDS Council of Australia was therefore impelled to remove breastfeeding from the national recommendations as a specific protective factor for SIDS in the revision of the Reduce the Risk messages 10,23 , although the recommendations continued to support breastfeeding as the optimal source of nutrition for babies.
Since , more studies have measured breastfeeding in similar ways. Several meta-analyses similarly conducted studies which allow pooling of data; regarded as highest level of scientific evidence in which the true effect of a factor can be better determined have now been conducted and have consistently found a strong association between a baby receiving breast milk and a reduction in the risk of SIDS 1,5,, Alm et al demonstrated a relationship, although weak, between breastfeeding and SIDS reduction in their case control study The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report 1 reaffirmed health risks associated with formula-feeding and early breastfeeding cessation and included a meta-analysis examining SIDS risk which addressed the limitations identified in previous studies and systematic reviews.
However results for exclusive breastfeeding or specific durations were not reported. In a German case-control study, Vennemann and colleagues examined risk factors for SIDS and the relationship with breastfeeding.
Exclusive breastfeeding at 1 month of age halved the risk while partial breastfeeding at the age of 1 month also reduced SIDS risk; after adjustment the reduction in risk was not significant. Breastfeeding survival curves showed both partial breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding were associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.
Most recently, Hauck and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to address this relationship. Studies were grouped according to the exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding. For babies who received any amount of breast milk for any duration the univariate summary odds ratio SOR was 0.
The univariable SOR for exclusive breastfeeding of any duration was 0. Hauck and colleagues concluded that any duration of breastfeeding is protective against SIDS, while the protective effect is stronger for exclusive breastfeeding.
The authors argued, that while causation cannot be proven based on evidence from case-control studies which would be unethical and unrealistic to conduct , that factors that have been proposed to support causality in observational studies were found in this meta-analysis: consistent findings, strong association, dose-response effect, causal factor preceding outcome, and biological plausibility 5.
Any duration of breastfeeding is protective against sudden infant death, while the protective effect is stronger for exclusive breastfeeding over a longer period of time 1,5, The specific mechanism s by which breastfeeding is protective is not fully understood but is believed to be multifactorial and related to breast milk components, maternal behaviour and the mechanism of breastfeeding 10, Authors said it was unclear why breastfeeding protected infants from SIDS but discussed several possibilities, including better arousal from sleep in breastfed babies.
The World Health Organization has set a target of half of infants being exclusively breastfed for at least six months by Advertising Disclaimer ». Sign In or Create an Account. Search Close. Create Account. Advanced Search. Skip Nav Destination Share. Melissa Jenco, News Content Editor. Black and other racial minority mothers were found to be less likely to initiate breastfeeding and to exclusively breastfeed their infants, leading to higher incidence of SIDS in these communities.
They recommended developing innovative breastfeeding interventions for these high-risk populations in order to reduce infant deaths.
Breastfeeding rates in the United States are suboptimal, leading to higher healthcare expenditures, and more preventable infant mortality.
The most cost-effective strategy for reducing SIDS is expanding breastfeeding intervention efforts. Skip to main content. Does breastfeeding reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome?
Pediatrics; 3 , e Hauck, F. Breastfeeding and reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome: a meta-analysis.
0コメント