Exclusive Breastfeeding Lowers Nephrotic Syndrome Risk in Korean Children: Study

A recent Korean study published in The Journal of Pediatrics found the significant health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, particularly in reducing the risk of nephrotic syndrome in children. The study analyzed data from nearly 1.8 million children born between 2010 and 2018 and found that the infants who were exclusively breastfed had a 20% lower risk of developing nephrotic syndrome when compared to their formula-fed peers.

The study utilized comprehensive data from the Korean National Health Information Database and the Korean National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children. This focused on children who had undergone their first health screening between 4 and 6 months of age, during which breastfeeding habits were recorded. The research followed these children for up to 8 years with tracking the incidence of nephrotic syndrome.

To assess the relationship between breastfeeding and nephrotic syndrome, this research employed Cox proportional hazards models, which were adjusted for various sociodemographic factors. This statistical approach allowed them to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for the development of nephrotic syndrome among exclusively breastfed and formula-fed children.

Out of the 1,787,774 children included in the study, 612,556 were exclusively breastfed, while 1,175,218 were formula-fed. The median follow-up period was nearly 8 years that provided a robust timeframe for observing long-term health outcomes.

The results revealed a clear association between exclusive breastfeeding and a reduced risk of nephrotic syndrome. The adjusted hazard ratio for exclusively breastfed children was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.69 – 0.93) which indicated a 20% lower risk of developing the condition when compared to formula-fed children. This protective effect of breastfeeding was consistent across the study population, with sensitivity analyses confirming the robustness of these findings.

When the subgroup analysis was conducted based on the sex of the children, it brought out that the protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding was more pronounced in boys. For boys, the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.62 – 0.92) that suggests a 25% reduction in risk. In the case of girls, the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.70 – 1.09) that indicated a smaller, non-statistically significant reduction in risk. Although the findings for girls did not reach statistical significance, the overall trend supported the benefits of breastfeeding.

Overall, the outcome of the study reinforces the importance of exclusive breastfeeding as a preventive measure against nephrotic syndrome in early childhood. The research adds to the growing body of evidence supporting breastfeeding as a potential component of infant health by demonstrating a significant reduction in the risk of this kidney disorder. 

Source:

Park, P. G., Heo, J. S., Ahn, Y. H., & Kang, H. G. (2024). Association between Exclusive Breastfeeding and the Incidence of Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome. In The Journal of Pediatrics (p. 114266). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114266