Prolonged breast feeding, diarrhoeal disease, and survival of children in Guinea-Bissau

Abstract

ment would need to be examined. It is important that women without cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and perhaps those with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade I, are not overtreated; a randomised trial is needed to address this issue.In conclusion, this study shows that cytological surveillance is not an efficient strategy for managing women with mildly abnormal smears and that women with any grade of dyskaryosis should be referred for colposcopy. We 8 Richart RM, Barron BA. A follow-up study of patients with cervical dyskaryosis. AmJ Obstet Gynecol 1969;105:386-93. 9 Nasiell K, Roger V, Nasiell M. Behaviour of mild cervical dysplasia during long term follow up. AmJ Obstet Gynecol 1986;67:665-9. 10 Fletcher A, Mehaxes N, Grubb G, Chamberlain J. Four and a half years' follow up ofwomen with dyskaryotic cervical smears. BMJ 1990;301:641-4 Subjects-849 children aged less than 3 years. Main outcome measures-Incidence and duration ofdiarrhoea, weight for age, and death ofa child.Results-The incidence of diarrhoea was higher in weaned children than in partially breast fed children, both in 1 year olds (relative risk 1*41; 95% confidence interval 123 to 1.62) and in 2 year olds (1.67; 1-29 to 2.15). The mean duration of an episode of diarrhoea was 5'3 days in breast fed children compared with 6-3 days in weaned children (P= 0.001). Independent of the age of weaning, a similar increase was found in an analysis comparing, for each child, the rate and duration of diarrhoea one month before and one month after weaning. Children with low weight for age were breast fed longer than the better nourished children (P=0.02). Children aged 12-35 months who were not breast fed had a 3'5 times higher mortality (1.4 to 8.3) than breast fed children.Conclusions-The beneficial effects of breast feeding are not restricted to infancy. Though children who are partially breast fed after infancy may have a lower state of nutrition than the weaned ones, the benefit in terms of lower morbidity may be more important for child survival in places with a high morbidity from diarrhoea and with high mortality.

Complementary feeding indicators and determinants of poor feeding practices in Indonesia: a secondary analysis of 2007 Demographic and Health Survey data

“…In a number of studies, household wealth index was related to poor infant feeding and was closely associated with low birth weight and stunting (18,19) . Shorter birth intervals of less than 12 months have been reported in earlier literature as a strong predictor of poor infant feeding (20)(21)(22)(23)(24) . This could be related to maternal depletion syndrome and resource competition between siblings, in addition to a lack of care and attention experienced by first-born infants (25)(26)(27)(28) .…”

Management of childhood diarrhea and use of oral rehydration salts in a suburban West African community.

“…The epidemiology and etiology of childhood diarrhea in the study area has been described elsewhere. 12,13 For more than 10 years it has been the practice of health centers in Bissau to provide mothers with a few ORS packets for home treatment of diarrhea. Rehydration is rarely provided at the health centre.…”

Knowledge, attitude and practices of breast feeding among post natal mothers

“…There are reports of increased risk of improper child feeding practices in urban slums as the families there live without traditional support of joint family system. 8 The change in infant feeding practices began in industrialized countries, and soon followed by educated female of underdeveloped counties by curtailing the duration of breast feeding. 9 Since there is inadequate information regarding breast feeding practices in Bellary, present study was undertaken to understand the prevailing breast feeding practices in the city.…”