Breast-feeding and a subsequent diagnosis of measles.
BACKGROUND
Breast-feeding protects against many infectious diseases and may also influence immunization outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigated if breast-feeding protects against clinical measles and if it modified the effect of immunization.


METHODS
We used logistic regression with data for 10 207 individuals from the 1970 British Cohort study (BCS70). Breast-feeding data were collected at five years of age, and information on clinical measles infection, as well as socio-economic measures was collected at the age of ten years. Breast feeding was categorized as: breast-fed <1 month (n = 1611), breast-fed for 1-3 months (n = 1016), breast-fed for more than three months (n = 1108), breast-feeding of uncertain duration (n = 21) and never breast-fed (n = 6451).


RESULTS
Breast-feeding for more than three months was negatively associated with a diagnosis of clinical measles infection after adjustment for crowding, social class, measles vaccination, parity and sex with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.69 (0.60-0.81) compared with those who never breast-fed. Measles vaccination was highly associated with low risk for measles with: 0.14 (0.13-0.16). Age at acute measles infection was not associated with breastfeeding. Breast-feeding did not notably alter measles immunization efficacy.


CONCLUSIONS
Immunization against measles provides effective protection against the disease. A more modest reduction in the risk of a measles diagnosis is associated with breast-feeding. The associations with a diagnosis of measles for breast-feeding and measles immunization are independent of each other.
Silfverdal
S A
SA
Department of Paediatrics, Clinical Research Centre, Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden.
Ehlin
A
A
Montgomery
S M
SM
D001942:Breast Feeding; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D008458:Measles Vaccine