Abstract            Volume:6  Issue-4  Year-2018         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Allergic rhinitis is common chronic disease in children and the incidence increases in children aged over 5 years. Exclusive breastfeeding may reduce the risk of allergic rhinitis due to its anti-allergen and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to find the difference between children who were exclusively breastfed and did not exclusively breastfed to the incidence of allergic rhinitis in children. This analytic comparative with cross sectional study was conducted in Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh. Data collected from medical records and questionnaires completed by parents. A total of 35 children aged 5 to 18 years were collected using accidental sampling. The results shown 20 (57.1%) children had a history of exclusive breastfeeding and 15 (42.9%) children had a history of non-exclusive breastfeeding. About 22 (62.9 %) children suffering from intermittent allergic rhinitis, while other 13 (37.1 %) children suffering persistent allergic rhinitis. Fisher’s exact test results shown statistically significant difference between Exclusive breastfeeding and non-exclusive breastfeeding to the incidence of allergic rhinitis in children aged 5 to 18 years (P=0.005; OR 6.9 95% CI 1.78-26.85). In conclusion, children with a history of exclusive breastfeeding had a lower frequency of allergic rhinitis symptoms. It is suggested that children with a moderate or high risk of allergy to be given exclusive breast feeding in the first 6 months of life to reduce the incidence of allergic rhinitis in the future.

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