Does exclusive breastfeeding confer protection against infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis? A 30-year experience in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

The incidence of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis has steadily decreased in developing countries, and this study was designed to confirm this and establish any protection conferred by exclusive breastfeeding. A retrospective study was done between July 1978 and June 2008, at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. A total of 57 children aged between 2 and 6 weeks (mean 3.5 +/- 1.2 weeks) comprising of 49 males and 8 females with male female ratio 6.1 : 1 were treated. Following the introduction of exclusive breastfeeding in late 1980s and early 1990 s in Nigeria, a steady drop in incidence was noticed, with only five cases seen in the last decade and just one case seen in the past 5 years. All were babies who had artificial feeds, with none recorded among babies exclusively breastfed. This decrease in the incidence of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis may have been due to exclusive breastfeeding.