Document Type

Article

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

3. MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES, Paediatrics

Publication Details

Irish Medical Journal March 105(3): 75-78.

Abstract

This study aimed to report on adverse infant and maternal clinical outcomes, and investigate the relationship between infant feedingpractice and such adverse clinical outcomes in infants during the first 6 weeks postpartum. From an eligible sample of 450 motherterminfant pairs recruited from the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital in Dublin, 27.1% of infants (n=122) werematernally reported to have had an illness during the first 6 weeks that necessitated the provision of prescribed medication ± generalpractitioner/paediatrician attendance ± hospitalisation. Of these, 90 infants had ≥1 episode of infection ± viral ± gastro-intestinalrelatedcondition. After adjustment, ‘any’ breastfeeding to 6 weeks was protective against such adverse infant outcomes (adjustedodds ratio [aOR] 0.44, P = 0.022). Attendance to the GP/paediatrician for > 1 visit (aOR 3.44, P = 0.000) and multiparity (aOR 1.76,P = 0.041) were also positively associated with such adverse infant outcomes. To decrease infant morbidity rates in Ireland,government investment in breastfeeding promotion, support and research should be a continued public health priority.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21427/D7MP6Z

Funder

Technological University Dublin, Kevin's Street, Dublin 8

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