Abstract

PIP: Breastfeeding was found to give protection against many gastrointestinal infections in infants. A study has been conducted to examine whether breastfeeding protects children contracting from ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm infections. A history of breastfeeding and supplementation in urban children from low economic strata were obtained and stools were examined for the ova of ascaris and hookworm. There was no significant difference in the presence of hookworm ova between the only breastfed group and breastfed with supplemented group by 2 years of age. By age 6 and 24 months, the presence of ascaris ova was significantly higher in the breastfed with supplemented group than the breastfed only group. It appears that exclusive breastfeeding may have some role in preventing acquisition of ascaris infection in urban slums with poor sanitation facilities.