The prevalence of diarrhea in children who were breastfed for less than six months, or not at all

Abstract

Breastfeeding is an act that has biopsychosocial repercussion on the child’s development, intervening, especially, on the prevention of such infectious diseases as diarrhea. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of the diagnosis of diarrhea on children who were not breastfed or were breastfed for less than six months, and who went through primary care services in Fortaleza, Brazil. During the months of June and July 2005, we collected information from the mothers of 121 children, using a questionnaire. The results revealed that 39.6% of children had been breastfed for less than 6 months and 5.7% had not been breastfed at all. Among children who had not been breastfed, 23.6% had a diagnosis of diarrhea. Many studies already agree that maternal milk has immunological properties that prevent diarrhea. Therefore, we conclude that breastfeeding until 6 months of age is an important action to promote the child’s health.