Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Acute viral bronchiolitis is a common respiratory infectious disease of children.
OBJECTIVE:
To study the relationship between bronchiolitis and breastfeeding in children below 2 years of age.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
A prospective study was carried out with100 child aged up to 24 months to evaluate their
breastfeeding status as possible risk factors for unfavourable evolution in department of pediatric
in AL-Kahdimiya Teaching Hospital during the period from first of October 2008 to the end of
March 2009.
RESULTS:
Hundred cases of bronchiolitis were included in this study. Most of them ( 78 %) were below one
year. Male children were 70%, female children were 30%. Fifty-four of the children were
exclusively breastfeeding. Eighty of the children were admitted to the hospital because of severe
attack. The median length of hospital stay was four days and of oxygen-use was three days.
CONCLUSION:
The duration of exclusive breastfeeding was inversely related to the length of oxygen-use and the
length of hospital stay. Shorter exclusive breastfeeding was observed in children who were
assigned to a pediatric ward or to an intensive care unit. Longer duration of breastfeeding was
associated with better clinical outcomes.