Breastfeeding mitigates long-term infectious disease outcomes in individuals with a history of surgical disease as a neonate: a case-control cohort study.

Sakika Shimizu, Ghazale Farjam, Go Miyano, Suyin A Lum Min, Richard Keijzer

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric surgery international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sakika ShimizuDepartment of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, AE402-820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3A 1S1, Canada.

Ghazale FarjamDepartment of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, AE402-820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3A 1S1, Canada.

Go MiyanoDepartment of Pediatric General and Urogenital Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.

Suyin A Lum MinDepartment of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, AE402-820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3A 1S1, Canada.

Richard KeijzerDepartment of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, AE402-820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3A 1S1, Canada. Richard.keijzer@umanitoba.ca.

Funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada 178387CIHR 178387

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeBreast milk is the recommended nutrition for infants and provides protection against infection. We evaluated whether similar benefits extend to individuals with congenital surgical anomalies.

methodsWe compared infectious events in patients with necrotizing enterocolitis or one of eight congenital surgical anomalies with age-matched controls from the general population. Feeding at discharge was categorized as exclusive breast milk, partial breast milk, or exclusive formula. Outcomes included gastroenteritis, respiratory infections, meningitis, and sepsis. Odds ratios (OR) for each outcome were estimated for cases and controls, and effect modification by case status was assessed.

resultsA total of 1168 cases (165 exclusively breast milk-fed) and 11,648 controls (6084 exclusively breast milk-fed) were included. Among cases, exclusive formula-feeding increased the odds of gastroenteritis (OR = 3.71, p = 0.008) and respiratory infections (OR = 2.04, p = 0.003), but not meningitis or sepsis. Among controls, formula-feeding increased the odds of all outcomes (gastroenteritis: OR = 1.78, respiratory infections: OR = 2.46, meningitis: OR = 4.22, sepsis: OR = 2.84; all p ≤ 0.003). Protective effects of breast milk were greater in controls.

conclusionsExclusive breast milk feeding decreases the odds of long-term infectious disease outcomes, including in individuals with congenital surgical anomalies. These findings underscore the importance of supporting maternal and donor milk programs for vulnerable surgical populations.

Indexed as

Breast FeedingEnterocolitis, NecrotizingRespiratory Tract InfectionsSepsisCase-Control StudiesFemaleGastroenteritisHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleBreast milkCase–control studyCongenital surgical anomaliesInfectious disease outcomes

Identifiers

PMID41739255

DOI10.1007/s00383-026-06319-4

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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.