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Breast-feeding and urinary tract infection
A Pisacane1, L Graziano, G Mazzarella
1Dipartimento di Pediatria, Università di Napoli, Italy.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Breast-feeding appears to protect infants from urinary tract infections. This study found that breastfed infants had a lower incidence of urinary tract infections compared to non-breastfed infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in infants.
- The protective effects of breast-feeding against infections are widely recognized.
- Further research is needed to confirm the specific association between breast-feeding and UTI prevention in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between breast-feeding and the risk of developing urinary tract infections in infants.
- To determine if breast-feeding offers protection against UTIs in the first six months of life.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- Case patients included 128 infants (birth to 6 months) diagnosed with UTIs.
- Control patients comprised 128 infants of similar age admitted to the same hospital ward for acute illnesses, excluding UTIs.
Main Results:
- The study observed a statistically significant association between breast-feeding and a reduced risk of urinary tract infections.
- Infants who were breast-fed exhibited a lower prevalence of UTIs compared to their non-breastfed counterparts.
- These findings support the hypothesis that breast-feeding acts as a protective factor against UTIs in infants.
Conclusions:
- Breast-feeding is a significant protective factor against urinary tract infections in infants.
- Promoting breast-feeding may be a viable strategy for UTI prevention in pediatric populations.
- Further research could explore the immunological mechanisms underlying this protective effect.