LAUSR

Asthma is the one of the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting 15-20% of children worldwide (1). The Developmental Origins of Health and Diseases hypothesis suggests that early childhood offers a critical opportunity to alter the development of chronic disease (2). During this period, breastfeeding is increasingly recognized as serving a dual role of both nutrition and immune protection (3). In the CHILD Study Cohort, we have observed a dose-dependent protective association between breastfeeding and possible or probable asthma at 3 years of age (4), suggesting a potential role for immunomodulatory components of human breast milk. In addition to transferring maternal antibodies and cytokines, human milk contains adipokines and metabolic hormones including adiponectin, leptin, and insulin.