title: [Child feeding and diarrhea morbidity].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the protective role of breastfeeding against diarrhea in children younger than one year of age in the city of Feira de Santana, Brazil, in 2001.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out. Questionnaires were applied to mothers by 104 university students on the national vaccination day in 44 health units (71.0%) selected by simple stratification. 2,319 children were evaluated (24.3% of the estimated population). The prevalence ratio was calculated and considered significant if p< or =0.05 with a 95% confidence interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diarrhea occurred in 11.6% of the sample, with greater frequency after the sixth month (63.3%). The chance for presenting diarrhea was 64% higher in children younger than six months who were not breastfed vs. breastfed children (p<0.02). When compared to the children who were exclusively breastfed, the chance for presenting diarrhea increased to 82% in children who were not breastfed (95% CI 1.11-3.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding were a protective factor against diarrhea in the first six months of life.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana. graciete.vieira@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Graciete O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Luciana R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de O Vieira
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009017:Morbidity; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors