M. Telahun et al., THE RELATION OF EARLY NUTRITION, INFECTIONS AND SOCIOECONOMIC-FACTORSTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDHOOD DIABETES, Ethiopian medical journal, 32(4), 1994, pp. 239-244
The relationship of development of diabetes from birth up to 15 years
of age to the type of feeding in infancy, childhood infections and vac
cination was studied in 55 patients attending Endocrinology Clinics of
the Ethio-Swedish Children's and Tikur Anbessa Hospitals over a perio
d of two years (January 1990 to December 1991). Seventy-four unaffecte
d siblings and 107 unrelated controls were interviewed for comparison.
No significant difference was found in relation to type of feeding up
to the ages of three, six and 12 months or older between patients and
unaffected siblings. Histories of measles, chicken pox and whooping c
ough were equally distributed between the two groups. However, introdu
ction of bottle-feeding was significantly more frequent among unrelate
d controls at three months of age (9/39 diabetics versus 41/83 control
s) and six months of age (26/39 diabetics vs 72/83 controls) x2=6.6, (
p < 0.01) and x2 = 5.6 (p < 0.05) respectively. The odds ratios betwee
n diabetics and unrelated controls for introduction of bottle-feeding
at three months and six months of age were 0.32 (confidence intervals
0.14-0.74) and 0.31 (confidence intervals 0.13-0.77) respectively. The
use of cow's milk and other formulas in bottle-feeding showed a signi
ficant negative association with the development of diabetes x2 = 5.8
(p < 0.025), x2 = 3.8 (p < 0.05) respectively. A history of vaccinatio
n against tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT)
and polio was significantly more common among unrelated controls than
diabetics, x2 from 4.6 to 11.4 (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). There was no s
ignificant difference in family history of diabetes in first degree re
latives, parental education and level of income between diabetics and
unrelated controls. These findings, particularly those which are at va
riance with findings in Europeans, warrant more extensive studies for
verification.