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Artificial feeding and hospitalization in the first 18 months of life
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical University, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Artificial feeding significantly increases infant hospitalization for respiratory infections. Breastfeeding offers crucial protection during the first 18 months of life, reducing infection-related hospital visits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Infant feeding practices significantly impact child health outcomes.
- Respiratory infections are a leading cause of infant morbidity and hospitalization worldwide.
- Understanding the protective role of breastfeeding is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infant feeding type and hospitalization rates.
- To determine the impact of artificial feeding versus breastfeeding on respiratory infection hospitalizations.
- To analyze the influence of feeding type on other infant health conditions.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study involving 1,058 infants in Shanghai, China.
- Categorization of infants into artificially fed (never breastfed) and breastfed groups.
- Statistical analysis using multiple logistic regression to assess hospitalization risk.
Main Results:
- Artificially fed infants had a significantly higher hospitalization rate for respiratory infections (18.0%) compared to breastfed infants (11.2%).
- The increased risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections in artificially fed infants was independent of other factors.
- The adjusted odds ratio for hospitalization due to respiratory infections was 2.11 for artificially fed infants.
Conclusions:
- Artificial feeding is associated with a substantially increased risk of hospitalization for infant respiratory infections.
- Breastfeeding demonstrates a protective effect against respiratory infections requiring hospitalization in early childhood.
- Public health initiatives should promote breastfeeding to reduce infant morbidity.
Abstract:
The association between type of feeding and hospitalization during the first 18 months of life was examined among 1,058 infants from Jing-An district, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Infants who had never been fed with mother's milk were categorized as artificially fed; the remainder were breast-fed. The rate of hospitalization for first episodes of respiratory infections during the first 18 months of life for the artificially fed infants was 18.0% v 11.2% for the breast-fed infants (P less than .01). Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the adverse effect of artificial feeding on the hospitalization rate for respiratory infections was independent of birth weight, father's education, passive smoking, and any case(s) of chronic respiratory disease in the family. The adjusted odds ratio for the artificially fed infants compared with the breast-fed infants was 2.11. The artificially fed infants were also hospitalized more frequently for gastroenteritis and other conditions, but the differences were not significant.