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Breast feeding, nutritional state, and child survival in rural Bangladesh
A Briend1, B Wojtyniak, M G Rowland
1International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh.
Insights
Breastfeeding significantly improves child survival rates up to three years of age, particularly for malnourished children. This study highlights breastfeeding
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Child survival remains a critical global health challenge, especially in resource-limited settings.
- Malnutrition significantly increases child morbidity and mortality.
- Breastfeeding is a cornerstone of infant and child nutrition and health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively examine the impact of breastfeeding on nutritional status, illness, and survival in young children.
- To quantify the contribution of breastfeeding to child survival in a rural Bangladeshi community.
- To identify specific age groups and nutritional statuses where breastfeeding provides the most significant survival benefits.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving approximately 4612 children aged 12-36 months in rural Bangladesh.
- Monthly data collection on breastfeeding practices, child illness, and arm circumference measurements over a six-month period.
- Comparative analysis of mortality data between children who died and those who survived within one month of health worker visits.
Main Results:
- Absence of breastfeeding was associated with approximately one-third of deaths in children aged 18-36 months.
- The protective effect of breastfeeding in this age group was consistent across ages but most pronounced in severely malnourished children.
- Breastfeeding demonstrated a substantial impact on enhancing child survival up to three years of age in communities with high malnutrition prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding plays a crucial role in improving child survival, especially in vulnerable populations.
- Targeted support for breastfeeding can be a highly effective public health intervention in areas with high malnutrition rates.
- Further research should explore the mechanisms through which breastfeeding confers survival advantages in malnourished children.
Abstract:
The effect of breast feeding on nutritional state, morbidity, and child survival was examined prospectively in a community in rural Bangladesh. Every month for six months health workers inquired about breast feeding and illness and measured arm circumference in an average of 4612 children aged 12-36 months. Data from children who died within one month of a visit were compared with those from children who survived. Roughly one third of the deaths in the age range 18-36 months were attributable to absence of breast feeding. Within this age range protection conferred by breast feeding was independent of age but was evident only in severely malnourished children. In communities with a high prevalence of malnutrition breast feeding may substantially enhance child survival up to 3 years of age.