Breastfeeding duration and sings of mouth breathing in children with poor school performance

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding is a protective factor for respiratory diseases, as well as contributing to the intellectual development of children. Objective: To analyze the relationship of breastfeeding time with signs of oral breathing in children with poor school performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 82 children aged 7 to 12 years old with poor school performance, recruited from public schools in a city in the interior of Minas Gerais. The parents answered a questionnaire containing the following topics: breastfeeding time in months, gender of the child, maternal schooling and signs of oral breathing. For the statistical analysis, Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used, considering a significance level of 5%. Results: Of the total number of children studied, 61 (74%) received breastfeeding for more than six months, 60 (73%) were male, 47 (56%) of the mothers were illiterate or had incomplete elementary education. Signs of oral breathing were present in 57 (70%) of schoolchildren. There was an association between the time of breastfeeding and the report of complaints of nasal obstruction sporadically, difficulty or delay when swallowing food and sleeping with open mouth. Conclusion: Children who were breastfed for less than six months had a greater combined number of signs of oral breathing. There was a statistically significant association between the signs of oral breathing and the time of breastfeeding. Screening of children who need to be referred for multiprofessional evaluation of the respiratory mode can be performed through information on breastfeeding time and combined mouth breathing signals.