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Relationship between exclusive breastfeeding, pet ownership, and infant healthcare utilization

Pediatric Research (2024)Cite this article

Although the exact mechanism is unknown, environmental exposures and their associated microbial contributions are thought to drive infant health and healthcare resource utilization, as they largely shape the immune system.1,2 For example, dietary habits, household characteristics, and daycare attendance have been shown to affect infants. Contact with pet dogs and cats has been associated with lower rates of respiratory infection.3 Group childcare is associated with an initial increase, followed by a long-term decrease, in the incidence of ear and respiratory tract infections.4 Breastfeeding correlates with lower rates of bronchiolitis5 and gastroenteritis-related pediatric emergency room visits.6 Previous work has largely focused on one or a few environmental factors and not the collective impact of the many elements that simultaneously influence a child’s health. In addition, prior investigations have centered on incidence of particular infections rather than healthcare utilization broadly.

We used interview and medical record data to quantify the association between diverse exposures in early life and general health, measured by the need for healthcare encounters beyond well-child visits. Such data can inform family expectations and decisions about lifestyle and related exposures.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the study participants and the staff members from several local OBGYN offices for their help with participant recruitment.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 DK122029). Additionally, the Recruitment Enhancement Core in the Network Capacity component of the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences is supported by the National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1TR002345.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Rinat M. Tal, Lauren M. Walsh, Mary G. Boyle, Emily R. Hunter, Madison R. Martin-Giacalone, Steve M. Liao, Stephanie A. Fritz & Lori R. Holtz

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  1. Rinat M. Tal
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  2. Lauren M. Walsh
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  3. Mary G. Boyle
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  4. Emily R. Hunter
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  5. Madison R. Martin-Giacalone
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  6. Steve M. Liao
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  7. Stephanie A. Fritz
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  8. Lori R. Holtz
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Contributions

R.M.T., S.M.L., S.A.F. and L.R.H. made significant contributions to study conception and design. R.M.T., S.A.F. and L.R.H. all contributed to analysis and interpretation of data. R.M.T., L.M.W., M.G.B., E.R.H., M.R.M., S.A.F. and L.R.H. all contributed to the acquisition of data. R.M.T. generated the initial draft. R.M.T., S.M.L., S.A.F. and L.R.H. all contributed revisions of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lori R. Holtz.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Written informed consent was obtained from participants. Enrollment was approved by the IRBs of Washington University School of Medicine and Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

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Tal, R.M., Walsh, L.M., Boyle, M.G. et al. Relationship between exclusive breastfeeding, pet ownership, and infant healthcare utilization. Pediatr Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03200-9

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