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Vol. 13 - Num. 50

Original Papers

Breastfeeding and protection against respiratory tract infections in the first months of life

M.ª Mercedes Bueno Campañaa, Cristina Calvo Reyb, S Jimeno Ruizc, M Faustino Sánchezd, S Quevedo Terueld, MÁ Martínez Graneroc, A Delgado Iribarrene, I Casas Flechaf

aUnidad de Pediatría. Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón. Alcorcón. Madrid. España.
bServicio de Pediatría. Servicio de Pediatría. Hospital Universitario La Paz. Madrid. España.
cServicio de Pediatría. Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón. Alcorcón. Madrid. España.
dServicio de Pediatría. Hospital Severo Ochoa. Leganés. Madrid. España.
eServicio de Microbiología. Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón. Alcorcón. Madrid. España.
fLaboratorio de Gripe y Virus Respiratorios. Centro Nacional de Microbiología. Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Madrid. España.

Correspondence: MM Bueno. E-mail: mbueno@fhalcorcon.es

Reference of this article: Bueno Campaña MM, Calvo Rey C, Jimeno Ruiz S, Faustino Sánchez M, Quevedo Teruel S, Martínez Granero MÁ, et al. Breastfeeding and protection against respiratory tract infections in the first months of life. Rev Pediatr Aten Primaria. 2011;13:213-24.

Published in Internet: 03-05-2011 - Visits: 17013

Abstract

Background: the protective role against respiratory infections is included among the advantages of breastfeeding (BF).

Objective: to describe the pattern of BF in a cohort of newborns and its protective role against respiratory infections (RI) in the infant.

Material and methods: a cohort of 316 newborns (NB) from Madrid Health Districts 8 and 9 was followed by telephone calls every fortnight during the winter season recording clinical and epidemiological data. Nasopharyngeal aspirate was obtained in every patient with symptoms compatible with RI.

Results: one thousand, eight hundred and sixty-five phone calls [median: 4.2 (1-11)], and 106 scheduled visits were conducted. At the age of 1 month 56.1% of the infants were exclusively breastfed, at 3 months 39.4% and at 5 months 31.9%. The duration of BF was 65.1 days (SD: 43.49) and no factors were associated to a longer duration. Eighty nine acute RI were registered. The presence of siblings in school age increased the risk of RI by 1.74 (CI 95%:1.12-2.72) in all the strata of duration of exclusive BF. The risk of RI increased by 5 (CI 95%: 2.07-12.19) if breastfeeding lasted less than 1 month, by 9,8 (CI 95%: 4,06-23,66) between 30-60 days and by 3,4 (CI 95%: 1.28-9,19) if it lasted 60-90 days.

Conclusions: though many NB begin BF, only a third part of them go on with it at the age of 5 months. No covariant was associated with a longer duration. BF is a protector factor against RI when it lasts more than 90 days. So it must be promoted specially in those infants with siblings in school age.

Keywords

Breastfeeding Infant Respiratory tract infection

 

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