Abstract
SummaryAimBreast-feeding promotes several benefits in childhood, among them favoring the nasal breathing. In the present study, the relationship between breathing pattern and the history of breast-feeding and of deleterious oral habits was determined.Study designclinical with transversal cohort.Material and MethodThe study population consisted of 62 children ranging in age from 3 years and 3 months to 6 years and 11 months who were submitted to otorhinolaryngologic evaluation to determine nasal and mouth breathers and to a speech language pathologic interview. The otorhinolaryngologic evaluation involved the following exams: anterior rhinoscopy, oroscopy and radiologic examination. The parents of the children were questioned about the form of feeding (natural and/or artificial), the duration of breast-feeding and the presence of deleterious oral habits (suction and biting). The Fisher exact test was used to compare groups regarding the presence and absence of habits and the different periods of breast-feeding.ResultsThe breast-feeding period was longer among nasal breathers and was concentrated in the period between 3 and 6 months of age. Regarding the use of bottle, the results showed that most of the children in both groups used this type of feeding during the first years of life, with no significant difference between groups (p = 0.58). There was a marked presence of deleterious oral habits among mouth breathers, with a statistically significant difference between groups regarding suction (p = 0.004) and biting habits (p = 0.0002).ConclusionMouth breathing children were breast-fed for a shorter period of time and had a history of deleterious oral habits compared to nose breathers.
Highlights
Mother’s milk is considered the best milk for newborn babies
After the parents/tutors have signed the informed consent term, children were sent to otorhinolaryngological evaluation and answered a Speech Therapy Survey conducted by a doctor and a speech therapist
Out of the forty children in group of mouth breathers (GO) group, 47.5 % were not breastfed or if they were, it was for a shorter period than three months (n=19) and 37.5% (n=15) were breastfed for more than six months
Summary
Mother’s milk is considered the best milk for newborn babies. Several studies pointed out the importance of breast-feeding as the only feeding source in the first six months of life[1,2,3,4]. Immunological and emotional benefits, breastfeeding promotes the health of the stomatognathic system. Lack of breastfeeding is associated with dairy products intolerance and risks of getting respiratory infection[11] and diarrhea[12]. In the study Engel et al.[13] conducted with 250 children aged from zero to 2 years old breastfeeding was significantly related to the prevalence of middle ear otitis suggesting that prolonged breastfeeding prevents such pathology
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