Effect of feeding pattern on infant illness in Chinese cities.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of different feeding patterns on the occurrence of diseases among infants.


METHODS
Data on socio-economic status, feeding patterns before 6 months (exclusive breast-feeding (EBF); mixed feeding with breast milk and formula (MBF); exclusive formula-feeding (EFF)) and illness of infants were collected via face-to-face interviews. The proportions of infants who had ever been ill or hospitalized and their potential influence factors were investigated.


METHODS
Eight large cities in China.


METHODS
Infants (n 1654) aged 0-11·9 months were recruited from hospitals.


RESULTS
For infants aged 0-2·9 months, the percentage who had been ill was 19·2%, 24·1% and 26·3% among the EBF, MBF and EFF groups, respectively. For those aged 3-5·9 and 6-11·9 months, the corresponding percentages were 41·6%, 45·6% and 51·0%, and 67·0%, 73·4% and 67·7%. Respiratory disease was the most common reported illness and cause of hospitalization. The risks of having (total) illness, diarrhoea and respiratory disease increased significantly with age, but not allergic disease. Compared with EBF, MBF and EFF infants had significantly higher risks of having illnesses except for allergic disease, and feeding patterns were not related to hospitalization. Low birth weight, middle family income and low level of mother's education also increased the risk of illness.


CONCLUSIONS
A protective effect of EBF against total illness in urban Chinese infants was found. An increasing trend with age was observed among the percentages of infants who had been ill or had diarrhoea or respiratory disease, but not allergic disease.
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene,School of Public Health,Peking University Health Science Center,Room 415,38 Xueyuan Road,Haidian District,Beijing 100191,People's Republic of China.
Li
L
Cai
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene,School of Public Health,Peking University Health Science Center,Room 415,38 Xueyuan Road,Haidian District,Beijing 100191,People's Republic of China.
Pan
P
Yu
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene,School of Public Health,Peking University Health Science Center,Room 415,38 Xueyuan Road,Haidian District,Beijing 100191,People's Republic of China.
Yumei
Y
Zhang
2National Institute for Nutrition and Health,Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention,Beijing,People's Republic of China.
Xiaoguang
X
Yang
3Nestlé Nutrition Institute of China,Beijing,People's Republic of China.
Wenjun
W
Li
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene,School of Public Health,Peking University Health Science Center,Room 415,38 Xueyuan Road,Haidian District,Beijing 100191,People's Republic of China.
Peiyu
P
Wang
D001942:Breast Feeding; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002947:Cities; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
China; Feeding patterns; Illness; Infants