All issues > Volume 37(7); 1994

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1994;37(7):906-912. Published online July 15, 1994.

Protective Effect of Breast Feeding for Infection

Jin Kyung JK Jung¹, In Nam IN Kang¹, Dong Ju DJ Sin¹, Doo Bong DB Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, St. Francisco Hospital, Seoul ,Korea

Abstract

A Comparative study was retrospectively performed with 374 infants in order to find protective effect of breast feeding for infection. This study shows that breast feeding protect infant against gastrointestinal and respiratory infcttion. Breast feeding offers advantage by reducting gastraintestinal and respiratory infection when they should maintain breast feeding for at least three months. 1) First year morbidity increased with extent of artificial feeding and was nearly two fold for babies not breast-fed. 2) Prescence of older sibling, low birth weight and male sex are associated with increased morbidity. 3) Infant illness from 0`3 months, 4~6 months, 7~10 months, 11~12 moths was analyzed. Compared with the 108 bottle fed babies, the babies who had been partially(40) or fully(136) breast fed had significantly lower rate of gastrointestinal illness at 7~10 month(p<0.05), 11~12 month(p<0.005) and respiratory illness at 7~10 month (p<0.05). 4) Between the early weaning group (90) and the bottle group (108) showed no siggnificant difference. 5) Among the babies observed throughout the first year of life, 35(9%) and 46 (12) were admitted to hospital with gastrointestinal and respiratory infection. Babies who were breast fed for more than 3 month had significant lower rate for hospital admission due to gastrointestinal and respiratory infection when compared with bottle fed babies. Breast feeding durning more than 3 month of life confers protection against gastrointestinal and respiratory infection.

Keywords :Brdast feeding, Gastrointestinal and respiratory infection, Three months