Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and the development of atopy.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecological clinics’ waiting areas and admission wards of the Maternity and Children Hospital in Hail region, between November 2022 and February 2023, targeting mothers with at least one child over the age of one month.
Results: A sample of 423 children from Hail was studied in the current research. Most of them were over 12 months old. Although most of the participants believed that breastfeeding reduced the incidence of atopic skin disease, the most prevalent type of feeding was formula feeding, followed by mixed feeding and exclusive breastfeeding. The study showed no significant effects of breastfeeding type on the development of allergies in children, as well as breastfeeding type and duration. However, there was a significant association between formula feeding and the development of allergic rhinitis, as it increases the incidence.
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that no definitive link could be made between breastfeeding duration and the development of atopy or between breastfeeding type and the occurrence of atopy in children. However, the study showed that formula feeding was a significant risk factor for the development of allergic rhinitis.

Key words: Breastfeeding, atopy, allergic rhinitis, association, development