Breastfeeding May Help Protect Against A Childhood Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder

Sleep Related Breathing Disorders A childhood sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) is known to have negative consequences on cognitive development, behavior, quality of life and utilization of health care resources.

However, a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), finds that breastfeeding may provide long-term protection against the incidence or severity of a childhood SRBD.

The study, conducted by Hawley E. Montgomery-Downs, PhD, of West Virginia University, focused on the parents of those children who underwent overnight polysomnography, who filled out a brief survey about whether the child had been breast, formula or both breast and formula fed as an infant. There were 197 surveys completed.

The average age of the children at the time of polysomnography was 6.7 years. Fifty-two percent of them were formula fed, 10 percent breast fed and 38 percent both breast and formula fed as infants.

It was discovered that children who were breast fed for at least two months as infants had lower rates and less severe measures of an SRBD, and that breast feeding beyond two months provided additional benefits for reduced disorder severity.

Breastfeeding has the benefit of keeping the lungs healthier apart from many other healthy benefits. With healthier lungs, the breastfeeding babies have lower likelihood of developing sleep related breathing disorders such as sleep apnea and snoring.

When breastfeeding continued beyond two months, it reduced the severity of symptoms with certain breathing problems.

Childhood sleep apnea is a special concern of sleep related breathing disorder. In this condition, children stop breathing while they are asleep and can lead to disrupted sleep.

Therefore breastfeeding should always be considered, both for short term and long term benefits when deciding to feed your baby.

There are two reasons that breastfeeding protects sleep related breathing disorders. One reason is that breast milk protects against exposure to viruses which leads to stronger immune system.

The other reason is sucking the breast helps in developing better bone structure. Babies who are breast-fed have more space in the upper airway for breathing, especially during sleeping.

One out of four children has sleep-related breathing disorders such as snoring (Stop Snoring Remedies) and sleep apnea(Alternative treatment for Sleep Apnea). These breathing problems arise when the airway is partially blocked during sleep due to inflammation or due to other obstruction.

Breastfeeding is important to the proper development of the swallowing action of the tongue, proper alignment of the teeth and shaping of the hard palate. Every mother should realize the importance of breastfeeding as it protects their child from many health problems.

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