Bottle-Feeding Linked to Asthma

Published Online: Saturday, March 1, 2003   [ Request Print ]

Bottle-feeding in a bed or crib before sleep time during the first year of life increases the risk for asthma and recurrent wheezing in children between the ages of 1 and 5 years, according to a study reported recently in Pediatrics. A total of 448 children were followed from birth through age 5. Each of the children in the study had at least 1 parent with a history of allergies or asthma. The researchers concluded that avoiding large-volume liquid meals in the bed or crib before sleep time and perhaps avoiding placing a baby on his or her back immediately after bottle-feeding may reduce wheezing in early childhood.