EFFECTS OF INFANT-FEEDING PRACTICES AND BIRTH SPACING ON INFANT AND CHILD SURVIVAL - A REASSESSMENT FROM RETROSPECTIVE AND PROSPECTIVE DATA

Retrospective and prospective data collected in Cameroon were used to reassess hypotheses about how infant and early childhood mortality is affected by birth spacing and breast-feeding. These data show that: (a ) a short preceding birth interval is detrimental for child survival i n the first 4 months of life; (b) full and partial breast-feeding have direct protective effects on child survival in the first 4-6 months o f life, with the effects of the former stronger than those of the latt er; (c) early subsequent conception significantly increases mortality risks in the first 16 months of life of the index child. These finding s are robust to various controls, e.g. study design, data defects, chi ld's health conditions at/around birth, postnatal maternal and child r ecurrent illnesses, patterns of utilisation of health care services, a nd immunisation status of the child.