Breast feeding, obesity, and asthma association: clinical and molecular views

Naghmeh Kian; Alireza Bagheri; Fardis Salmanpour; Afsaneh Soltani; Zahra Mohajer; Noosha Samieefar; Behzad Barekatain; Roya Kelishadi

doi:10.1186/s12948-023-00189-0

Breast feeding, obesity, and asthma association: clinical and molecular views

Clin Mol Allergy. 2023 Oct 3;21(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s12948-023-00189-0.

Authors

Naghmeh Kian^{1

2

3}, Alireza Bagheri^{2

3

4}, Fardis Salmanpour^{2

3

5}, Afsaneh Soltani^{1

2

3}, Zahra Mohajer^{1

2

3}, Noosha Samieefar^{1

2

3}, Behzad Barekatain⁶, Roya Kelishadi^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² USERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Network of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Genetics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.
⁵ Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
⁶ Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁷ Network of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran. kelishadi@med.mui.ac.ir.
⁸ Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. kelishadi@med.mui.ac.ir.
⁹ USERN Office, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. kelishadi@med.mui.ac.ir.

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects children worldwide. Accumulating number of studies reported that the prevalence of pediatric obesity and asthma might be altered through breastfeeding. It has been proposed that Leptin, which exists in human milk, is oppositely associated with weight increase in newborns. It may also influence peripheral immune system by promoting TH1 responses and suppressing TH2 cytokines. Leptin influences body weight and immune responses through complex signaling pathways at molecular level. Although previous studies provide explanations for the protective role of breastfeeding against both obesity and asthma, other factors such as duration of breastfeeding, parental, and prenatal factors may confound this relationship which requires further research.

Keywords: Asthma; Breast milk; Breastfeeding; Obesity; Overweight.

Publication types

Review