The Prophylactic Effect of Breast Feeding on Urinary Tract Infection(UTI) among Children Under one Year of Age

UTI is a relatively common infection of childhood which is caused by ascending colonic bacteria and is frequently seen within the first year of life. The main complicaticn of an infection is leaving a scar in kidney which can lead to renal insufficiency and hypertension. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic effect of breast feeding against UTI among children under one year of age. This case-control study was conducted on 100 children under one year of age (50 cases and 50 control). The case group was selected from patients referring to the pediatric nephrology clinic or admitted to Vali-e-Asr hospital in 2004, all of whom have suffered from UTI at least once. The children in the control group who did not experience UTI were selected from daycare centers and were alike in terms of gender, age and circumcision (in boys). The data was analyzed using chi-square and fisher's exact tests. 9 (32.1%) of the children suffering from UTI and 25 (83.3%) of the healthy children had only been breast fed. The prophylactic effect of breast feeding against UTI was 90% higher in children who had only been breast fed (P=0.0005). The combined prophylactic effect of breast feeding and formula-feeding against UTI was 71% higher than only formula feeding (53.7% to 80%) (p=0.038). The preventive effect of breast feeding against UTI was higher in boys than in girls. This study shows that breast feeding has a prophylactic effect against UTI. We suggest that further studies should be carried out with a higher sample size to achieve comprehensive assessment.