The impact of breastfeeding practices on respiratory and diarrhoeal disease in infancy: a study from Sri Lanka.

A hospital-based descriptive recall study was conducted to assess the relationship, if any, between breastfeeding practices and morbidity from respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases in infants. A total of 343 infants (285 admitted patients and 58 controls) were recruited. Clinical and sociodemographic data and details regarding breastfeeding practices, timing of the first respiratory or diarrhoeal illness, and the timing of the first admission for a respiratory or diarrhoeal illness, were carefully documented. Three broad groups of those who were exclusively breastfed for 3 months or less, 4 months or more, and those who were never breastfed were identified. There was no significant difference in the numbers of infants who developed a respiratory or diarrhoeal illness or were admitted to hospital with a respiratory or diarrhoeal illness during the period of exclusive breastfeeding, irrespective of the period of exclusive breastfeeding. However, significant numbers of patients who were breastfed for 3 months or less developed the first respiratory infection, the first episode of diarrhoea, and the first hospital admission for respiratory or diarrhoeal disease during the first 3 months following the introduction of other foods and in the subsequent 3 months following this period. Those who were never breastfed showed the worst results. Significantly fewer of those who were breastfed for 4 months or more fulfilled the same criteria. Identical findings were noted whether the additional feeds used to terminate exclusive breastfeeding were water, herbal tea, native medicines, or formula milk. Similar results were obtained in the control group. This study reiterates the extended protective effects of exclusive breastfeeding for periods of over 4 months against respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases using a novel set of outcome measures.