These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Breast-feeding, diarrhoea and sanitation as components of infant and child health: a study of large scale survey data from Ghana and Nigeria.
    Author: Ahiadeke C.
    Journal: J Biosoc Sci; 2000 Jan; 32(1):47-61. PubMed ID: 10676059.
    Abstract:
    Using Demographic and Health Survey datasets from Ghana and Nigeria, this study examined whether the protective effects of breast-feeding are greatest where the poorest sanitation conditions prevail. It was found that mixed-fed infants aged between 0 and 11 months tend to have a higher risk of diarrhoea than fully breast-fed children, while the risk of diarrhoea among weaned infants is twice that of mixed-fed infants. The probit regression models employed in the analysis were used to predict the probability of diarrhoea associated with each breast-feeding pattern for both 'poor' and 'good' sanitation areas. It was found that the risk of diarrhoea among mixed-fed infants in the poor sanitation areas tends to be high while the same risk among fully breast-fed infants tends to be minimal. In essence, the health risks of mixed feeding are real, particularly for infants aged less than 7 months, and are even worse for those weaned before 6 months of age. This paper studies the interactions between breast-feeding practices, household environmental sanitation and diarrhea-related diseases in Ghana and Nigeria, employing the data collected from the Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Ghana in 1993 and Nigeria in 1990. Results showed that mixed-fed infants aged between 0 and 11 months tend to have a higher risk of diarrhea than fully breast-fed children, while the risk of diarrhea among the weaned infants is twice that of mixed-fed infants. The probit regression models employed in the analysis were used to predict the probability of diarrhea associated with each breast-feeding pattern for both ¿poor¿ and ¿good¿ sanitation areas. Furthermore, it was found that the risk of diarrhea among mixed-fed infants in the poor sanitation areas tends to be high, while the same risk among fully breast-fed infants tends to be minimal. In conclusion, health risks of mixed feeding are substantial, particularly for infants aged under 7 months, and are even worse for those weaned before 6 months of age.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]