Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Breastfeeding and Association with Diarrhoeal Diseases: A Tale of two Councils in South-Eastern Nigeria

E Azuike, U Anyanwagu, S Nwabueze, K Obi, K Enwonwu, I Nwagalaku

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health · pp. 1–10 · Published 19 Dec 2015

10.9734/IJTDH/2016/22830

Abstract

Background: Diarrhoeal diseases remain the second global leading cause of infant mortality accounting more than the combined effects of AIDS, Measles, and Malaria. It remains the leading cause of under-5 mortality, in poor underdeveloped regions. The protective effects of good breastfeeding practices among infants against diarrhoeal diseases are well known, but its practice among nursing mothers remains a subject of concern. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases and its association with breastfeeding amongst breastfeeding infants attending Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) in two area councils in South-Eastern Nigeria. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Selected Primary Healthcare Centres in two area councils- Nnewi-North and Nnewi-South in Anambra State of Nigeria between June and August, 2014. Methods: Multi-staged sampling technique was applied in selecting the Health Centres and study participants. The mothers were interviewed using pretested self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using STATA statistical software version 13 and the level of significance was determined at a p-value of less than 0.05. Results: The prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases among the infants was 27%. Above half (55.0%) was within the 0-3 months age bracket, while 23.8%, 21.8% and 33.33% of exclusively, predominantly, and mixed fed infants respectively had diarrhoea. Following adjustment for maternal education and past history of diarrhoea,  babies not on any form of breastfeeding were three-folds (OR: 2.93, 95%CI: 1.02-8.40) more likely than their breastfeeding counterparts to develop diarrhoeal disease. Similarly, exclusively breastfed babies were 73% (OR: 0.27, 95%CI: 0.09-0.86); and those predominantly-breastfed: 78% (OR: 0.22, 95%CI: 0.06-0.77) less likely to develop diarrhoeal diseases. Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding and healthy breastfeeding and weaning practices should be encouraged amongst mothers in developing countries as a good protective measure against diarrhoeal diseases among infants.

Breastfeeding infants diarrhoeal disease

References (19)

  1. 1 Global burden of childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea [DOI]
  2. 2 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2008
  3. 3 Global Illness and Deaths Caused by Rotavirus Disease in Children [DOI]
  4. 4 Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries [DOI]
  5. 5 Breastfeeding and the risk for diarrhea morbidity and mortality [DOI]
  6. 6 Timing of Breastfeeding Initiation and Exclusivity of Breastfeeding During the First Month of Life: Effects on Neonatal Mortality and Morbidity—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis [DOI]
  7. 7 Breast-Feeding Lowers the Frequency and Duration of Acute Respiratory Infection and Diarrhea in Infants under Six Months of Age [DOI]
  8. 8 Protective effect of breast feeding against infection [DOI]
  9. 9 The Role of Maternal Breast Milk in Preventing Infantile Diarrhea in the Developing World [DOI]
  10. 10 Prevalence of diarrhea disease and risk factors in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria [DOI]
  11. 11 Childhood diarrhoeal deaths in seven low- and middle-income countries [DOI]
  12. 12 EXCLUSIVE BREAST FEEDING [DOI]
  13. 13 BREAST-FEEDING, DIARRHOEA AND SANITATION AS COMPONENTS OF INFANT AND CHILD HEALTH: A STUDY OF LARGE SCALE SURVEY DATA FROM GHANA AND NIGERIA [DOI]
  14. 14 Diarrhoeal disease morbidity, risk factors and treatments in a low socioeconomic area of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
  15. 15 The influence of breast feeding on the occurrence of dysentery, persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition among Nigerian children with diarrhoea.
  16. 16 Breast-feeding promotion in a diarrhoea programme in rural communities.
  17. 17 Infant feeding practices, socio-economic conditions and diarrhoeal disease in a traditional area of urban Ilorin, Nigeria.
  18. 18 Persistent diarrhoea in Nigerian children aged less than five years: a hospital-based study.
  19. 19 Exclusive breast feeding and prevention of diarrheal diseases: a study in Qatar [DOI]

Cited by 0

No indexed citations yet.

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

1

Page views

0

PDF downloads

0

Outbound clicks

0

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.