Abstract

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BREASTFEEDING DURATION AND ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN INFANTS: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY IN THE CHILD CENTRAL TEACHING HOSPITAL

*Dr. Sura Qais Al-Maroof and Dr. Sajwa Qais Mahmood

ABSTRACT

Background: Human milk is the ideal and uniquely superior food for infants for the first year of life and as the sole source of nutrition for the first six months. Breast l'eeding is beneficial for both babies and mothers in rich and poor countries. Besides being ideal for babies, it helps to prevent sepsis in new born babies. It protects gut, chest, ear, and urinary tract from infections in young children, and is valuable in management of diarrhea. Objectives: To study the relationship of breastfeeding duration on the frequency of respiratory tract infections in infant during the first two years of life. Patients and methods: A cross sectional study performed in the central teaching hospital for pediatric involving a sample of one hundred forty one cases, which was conveniently collected from the word and the out patient clinic in the period from 1511) of Dec. 2007 to 15th of June 2008. One hundred of the collected sample was found to be breastfeed infants, while the other, forty one, were not breastfeed infants. The sample was analyzed for different related factors and frequencies of respiratory infections. Results were analyzed by computing the percentages of age, sex, duration of lactation, duration of pregnancy, mode of delivery, child rank, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, number of siblings, state of the house, and the socioeconomic status. Furthermore; Chi-square test has been used to find out the statistical significant relation between the variables and the respiratory tract infections. Results: We found out that: Infants with no breastfeeding account for 41 (29. I%) of the studied sample, while those who were breastleed account for 100 (70.9%). The incidence of otitis media, pneumonia, bronchiolitis were higher in those who were not breastfeed infants, while the risk decreases in those who breastfeed more than 6 months. Most infants develop one attack of respiratory tract infections 48.9%. The number of attacks per each infant regardim!, upper respiratory tract infections appears to be (0.8), while those of lower respiratory tract infections appears to be (0.9). So the end result is (1.6) attack per each infant. In the other band bottle fed infants develop one attack in 17.1% of cases. Therefore; number of attack per each infant regarding upper respiratory tract infections appears to be (0.9), while those of lower respiratory tract infections appears to be (1.2). So the end result is (2.1) attack per each infant regarding the total respiratory tract infections. Conclusions: The lactation duration has an important relation to the frequency of respiratory infections in infancy. Every effort should be made to encourage and support longer duration of breast-feeding.

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