Breast-feeding and respiratory syncytial virus infection.
The pattern of breast-feeding in 127 infants admitted to hospital with respiratory syncytial virus infection was compared with that in 503 age-matched controls. Thirty per cent of children with infection had been breast-fed compared with 49% of controls. The approximate relative risk of being admitted to hospital with respiratory syncytial virus infection if not breast-fed was 2.2. Several other factors were also considered, including an assessment of maternal care and home environment; the mother's age, marital state, and smoking habits; the number of siblings; and gestation. Adverse factors were all associated with an increased risk of admission with infection, but breast-feeding still appeared to provide protection after controlling for these other factors in turn. These findings provide further support for encouraging mothers to breast-feed their infants and should prompt further studies into the immune status of mothers and into the nature of the protective factors in their breast milk.
D001942:Breast Feeding; D002654:Child Care; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D010253:Respirovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012306:Risk; D013997:Time Factors