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Impact of breast-feeding on Giardia lamblia infections in Bilbeis, Egypt

M A Mahmud1, C L Chappell, M M Hossain

  • 1University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, USA.

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|September 20, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Exclusive breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of Giardia lamblia infections in infants. This protective effect lessens both asymptomatic and symptomatic Giardia infections and their associated symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Giardia lamblia is a common protozoan parasite causing enteric infections in infants.
  • Understanding risk factors for Giardia infection is crucial for prevention strategies in endemic areas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document Giardia lamblia infection in Egyptian infants.
  • To determine the protective effect of breast-feeding against Giardia infections.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed 152 infants from birth to 1 year in rural Egypt.
  • Data collected included Giardia infection status (asymptomatic/symptomatic) and feeding practices.
  • Statistical analysis used odds ratios and relative risks to assess the impact of breast-feeding.

Main Results:

  • Asymptomatic Giardia infections averaged 4.5 episodes per child-year and persisted for a mean of 7.18 weeks.
  • Exclusively breast-fed infants showed a reduced risk of asymptomatic (OR=0.66) and symptomatic (RR=0.50) infections.
  • Breast-fed infants experienced fewer symptoms like mucus in stool, loss of appetite, and abdominal tenderness.

Conclusions:

  • Exclusive breast-feeding is an effective preventive measure against Giardia lamblia infections in infants.
  • Promoting breast-feeding is recommended in regions with high endemicity of Giardia.
  • Breast-feeding mitigates the severity and incidence of Giardia infections and associated clinical manifestations.

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