ArticlePloS one2017
Breastfeeding and the risk of respiratory tract infections after infancy: The Generation R Study.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 135 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- An Evaluation of Food and Nutrient Intake among Pregnant Women in The Netherlands: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2023Pooled it
- The Effects of Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Respiratory Tract Infections and Immune Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2022Pooled it
- Food Consumption, Nutrient Intake and Status during the First 1000 days of Life in the Netherlands: a Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2019Pooled it
- Evidence of maternal transfer of antigen-specific antibodies in serum and breast milk to infants at high-risk ofFrontiers in immunology · 2022Trial
- Socio-cultural factors for breastfeeding cessation and their relationship with child diarrhoea in the rural high-altitude Peruvian Andes - a qualitative study.International journal for equity in health · 2021Trial
- Dynamics and drivers of the human breast milk microbiome across lactation stages.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Comparative Analysis of Breastfeeding and Infant Formulas: Short- and Long-Term Impacts on Infant Nutrition and Health.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- Moderate-to-late prematurity: understanding respiratory consequences and modifiable risk factors.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2025Review
- Mutual Interactions Between Microbiota and the Human Immune System During the First 1000 Days of Life.Biology · 2025Review
- Breastfeeding and Its Influence on Psychomotor Development: An Investigation Based on the LAyDI Study (PAPenRed).Nutrients · 2025Article
- 'There's a Little Bit of Tension There': perspectives of mothers and early childhood educators on breast-feeding in child care centers.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Review
- Are There Benefits to Breastfeeding for Long Durations That Continue after Breastfeeding Has Stopped? An Analysis of Acute Respiratory Illness in Nigerian Children.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Review
- The contributions of parental lactation on offspring development: It's not udder nonsense!Hormones and behavior · 2023Review
- Review
- Housing and health outcomes: evidence on child morbidities from six Sub-Saharan African countries.BMC pediatrics · 2023Article
- Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human milk from 21 women with confirmed COVID-19 infection.Pediatric research · 2023Article
- Infant and Young Child Feeding Knowledge among Caregivers of Children Aged between 0 and 24 Months in Seshego Township, Limpopo Province, South Africa.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe protection of breastfeeding against respiratory tract infections in the first year of life has often been suggested. Few studies examined the effect of breastfeeding on respiratory tract infections after infancy.
objectiveTo examine the association between breastfeeding with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) after infancy up to 4 years of age (n = 5322).
methodsThis study was embedded in The Generation R study, a Dutch population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until young adulthood. Information on breastfeeding duration (never; <3 months; 3-6 months; ≥6 months) and dose (never; partially until 4 months; predominantly until 4 months) were collected by questionnaire at 2, 6, and 12 months of age. Information on doctor attendance for LRTI and URTI were obtained by questionnaire at 2, 3, and 4 years of age.
resultsBreastfeeding for 6 months or longer was significantly associated with a reduced risk of LRTI up to 4 years of age (aOR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.51-0.98). Similar ORs for LRTI were found with breastfeeding for less than 3 months and 3-6 months. Although in the same direction, weaker ORs were found for URTI and breastfeeding duration. The same trend was found for partial and predominant breastfeeding until 4 months and LRTI and URTI.
conclusionBreastfeeding duration for 6 months or longer is associated with a reduced risk of LRTI in pre-school children. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the protective effect of breastfeeding for respiratory tract infections persist after infancy therefore supporting current recommendations for breastfeeding for at least 6 months.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.