OCCURRENCE OF DIARRHEAL DISEASES IN RELATION TO INFANT-FEEDING PRACTICES IN A RURAL-COMMUNITY IN WEST-BENGAL, INDIA

In a rural community-based prospective study, diarrhoea in relation to the feeding patterns of a cohort of infants was studied. A total of 1 48 infants between the ages of 0 and 2 months were enrolled and follow ed until the completion of 1 year of age. Survival analysis showed tha t by the fourth month of age exclusive breastfeeding dropped by 75%. T he proportion of complementary breastfeeding increased from 18.6 to 52 .9% during the same period and to 83.7% by the eighth month. This stud y clearly highlights the tendency for early switch over from exclusive breastfeeding to complementary breastfeeding. Early weaning was assoc iated with an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 3.02 (95% CI 1.043-8.802). The IRR of 3.02 and its confidence limits (1.043-8.02) suggest a sign ificant protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding against diarrhoea in infants. The results of this study indicate that promotion of excl usive breastfeeding has a potential role to reduce the incidence of di arrhoea amongst infants. The findings of this study will be useful for Diarrhoeal Disease Control Programme in reducing diarrhoeal morbidity .