title: Does breastfeeding influence mortality in children hospitalized with diarrhoea?
abstract: The association between breastfeeding and mortality in children hospitalized for diarrhoea was investigated in a prospective manner in 309 subjects below 18 months of age. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, 36 cases who died were compared with 273 controls who were discharged in a satisfactory condition. Breastfeeding had a strong protective effect against mortality even after allowance was made for confounding variables (including nutritional status, chronicity of illness, associated non-enteral infections) and a possible bias of interruption of breastfeeding as an early consequence of the terminal illness. The adjusted odd's ratio (OR) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent CI) for the protective effect were 2.7 and 2.1-3.6, respectively. The adjusted OR's (95 per cent CI's) were 6.0 (3.6-10.2), 2.6 (2.0-3.4), and 1.8 (1.4-2.5) for the age intervals 0-6, 7-12, and 13-18 months, respectively (P less than 0.001, less than 0.01, and less than 0.05, respectively). Further stratified analyses suggested a greater benefit in children with severe wasting, severe stunting, protracted illness, and diarrhoea as the sole illness. It is concluded that in children up to 18 months of age, breastfeeding offers substantial protection against death in children hospitalized with diarrhoea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Sachdev
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Puri
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D011446:Prospective Studies