To recommend a lengthening of the breast-feeding until four months of age at the very least can allow to protect the child against a risk from atopie or of asthma. Such is one of the conclusions of the prospective study of cohort led by an Australian team. They notice, at the age of six years, a significant reduction of the impact of asthma, and a delay in the installation of this pathology, on the condition of exclusive feeding in the breast during first four months of life at the very least. The milk introduction of other origin than nursery school before this delay represents a strongly significant risk factor (p <0,001) for all demonstrations asthmatic or linked to asthma: the asthma diagnosed in medical middle (AND 1,25), of respiratory hiss more than two times a year beyond one year of age (AND 1,41), a hiss in the previous year (AND 1,31), sleep troubles linked to hiss (AND 1,42), the age in the first hiss (AND 1,36) and a positive prick test in at least an a roallerg ne (OR1,3).

W. Oddy and coll. accomplished a prospective study of cohort to answer group of questions that raise the contradictory results of studies led on relations maternal feeding - atopique illness.

They used subjects included in a prospective study of cohort set up initially for a neonative monitoring. What allowed to include 2 187 children from ant natale period (18 weeks of gestation) and to follow them until the age of six years.

The parents were invited to fill a questionnaire at the time of enlistment, in one year of age and a little before the birthday of six years. A clinical valuation took place at the end of the first year. The authors assessed the association between exclusive feeding at the breast and the appearance of pathologies linked to asthma or to atopie, after adjustment for staggering variables.

Four months
The length of exclusive feeding is decisive, while that of partial feeding is not it. The age in which another milk was introduced is the variable of key exhibition, with an inflexion point in four months of age. Protective effect highlighted in this job can practise by several mechanisms, estimate the authors. First by the ousting of some allergens contained in milk others than maternal; then by the anti-inflammatory, nutritional components and other gifts in the human milk. Just as other authors, we showed that it is the age in which are introduced other milk, more than the length of feeding in the breast, who is most closely linked to asthma or to atopie in six years , write Oddy and coll.

It pleads in favour of a mechanism of exclusion (exclusion from a favouring or launching factor before the immune system is ready). But, as both variables are strongly linked, it is not definitely possible to reject the possibility that it is the breast-feeding which matters above all. Anyhow, these data are to keep and to deepen, the prevalency of the asthwe of the child being in increase in industrial countries.

Factors of touchiness
It was established that some factors if they happen early in life, can augment the touchiness of the child in asthma. Besides the precocious stopping of feeding in the breast, they count among these factors: male sex, small born weight, premature delivery, maternal youth as well as maternal tobacco addiction. Allergens of environment, as dust mites, some plants and pollens, can moreover be reason of sensitisation. In the opposite, a precocious exhibition in respiratory infections can constitute a protective factor.