Abstract

Background: Breast milk is the natural and complete diet for a newborn for the initial part of his life. It contains all the nutrients in adequate amounts essential for the physical and mental development of the child. Besides the health benefits, it also creates a bond of affection between the mother and her child.

Objective: To find out the relationship between the pattern of breastfeeding (exclusive/non-exclusive) and the episodes of illness in under five children.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of one month in GB Pant hospital. All children between 6 and 59 months and whose parents provided informed consent were included in the study. Information was obtained from the parents regarding the demographic details, pattern of feeding of children in the first 6 months of life (if they were exclusively breastfed or not), type and number of episodes of illness in the previous 4 months, immunization status, mode of delivery, duration of stay in the present hospitalization (recorded from the discharge file at the time of discharge from the hospital).

Results and Conclusion: Statistically significant difference was found in the number of episodes of illness between the children who were exclusively breastfed and those who were not. Breastfeeding must be promoted so that there’s a decline in the morbidity and mortality in children.