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Alimentação infantil e morbidade por diarréia

2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 79; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1590/s0021-75572003000500013

1678-4782

Graciete Oliveira Vieira, Luciana Rodrígues Silva, Tatiana de Oliveira Vieira,

Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues

To evaluate the protective role of breastfeeding against diarrhea in children younger than one year of age in the city of Feira de Santana, Brazil, in 2001.A cross-sectional study was carried out. Questionnaires were applied to mothers by 104 university students on the national vaccination day in 44 health units (71.0%) selected by simple stratification. 2,319 children were evaluated (24.3% of the estimated population). The prevalence ratio was calculated and considered significant if p< or =0.05 with a 95% confidence interval.Diarrhea occurred in 11.6% of the sample, with greater frequency after the sixth month (63.3%). The chance for presenting diarrhea was 64% higher in children younger than six months who were not breastfed vs. breastfed children (p<0.02). When compared to the children who were exclusively breastfed, the chance for presenting diarrhea increased to 82% in children who were not breastfed (95% CI 1.11-3.01).Breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding were a protective factor against diarrhea in the first six months of life.