Observations on urinary frequency in exclusively breastfed neonates

This study was conducted at the University Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria to investigate urinary frequency in exclusively breastfed neonates. Amongst exclusively breastfed neonates, 59.0% passed urine eight times or more per day while 14.5% passed urine less than five times a day. The comparative figures in partially breastfed neonates were 55.8% and 12.8% respectively. There was no significant association between the type of breastfeeding and urinary frequency. Sex was also not significantly associated with urinary frequency amongst exclusively breastfed infants. However, birthweight showed significant association with urinary frequency in the analysed sample. It is suggested that birthweight, which correlates with gestational maturity may influence urinary frequency because of its effect on renal functional maturation and possibly differential threshold for intravesical pressures required for initiating the micturition reflex. The observed association is, however, not an indication for supplementary water in low-birthweight infants since all the infants had normal hydration status. It is, therefore, recommended that all neonates should not receive supplementary water irrespective of their birthweights.