Impact of breast-feeding on Giardia lamblia infections in Bilbeis, Egypt.
A total of 152 infants were followed from birth to 1 year of age in a rural community of Egypt to document Giardia lamblia infection and to determine the effect of breast-feeding on enteric infections by this protozoan. Asymptomatic Giardia infections persisted as long as 4 months, with a mean duration of excretion of 7.18 weeks. The incidence of asymptomatic infection was 4.5 episodes per child-year. Exclusively breast-fed infants had lower risk for asymptomatic (odds ratio [OR] = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45-0.96, P < 0.05) and symptomatic infections (relative risk [RR] = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.27-0.90, P < 0.05). Furthermore, breast-fed infants had fewer clinical manifestations, including mucus in stool (23.8% versus 76.2%, P = 0.08), loss of appetite (17.6% versus 82.3%, P < 0.05), and abdominal tenderness (17% versus 82.9%, P < 0.05) compared with infants who were not exclusively breast-fed. Breast-feeding should be considered as an effective means to prevent Giardia infections and should be encouraged in regions where G. lambia is highly endemic.
Mahmud
M A
MA
University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, USA.
Chappell
C L
CL
Hossain
M M
MM
Huang
D B
DB
Habib
M
M
DuPont
H L
HL
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D001942:Breast Feeding; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004522:Educational Status; D004534:Egypt; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012424:Rural Population; D012923:Social Class
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan