Abstract
A longitudinal study of feeding practices of and morbidity in 537 infants was undertaken. Feeding practices were assessed at monthly follow-up visits. All infants were initially exclusively breastfed but their percentage dropped to 59.8% and 35.3% at the end of 3 months and 6 months respectively. Exclusively breastfed babies were three-times less likely to fall sick than artificially fed babies. Exclusive breastfeeding was also associated with significantly lowered rate of serious illnesses as shown by fewer rate of hospitalisation (0.52/100 children months vs 4.5/100 children months). Premature introduction of supplementary feeding diluted the protective effects of breastmilk.
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Kasla, R.R., Bavdekar, S.B., Joshi, S.Y. et al. Exclusive breastfeeding: Protective efficacy. Indian J Pediatr 62, 449–453 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02755066
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02755066