Seasonal differences in breast-feeding in rural Egypt.

ABSTRACT

PIP: 2 surveys in Upper and Lower rural Egypt allowed an analysis of the seasonality of infant feeding. The 1st, including 937 children, was conducted during the relatively cool season of low diarrhea incidence in January-April 1978; the 2nd, including 976 children, took place during the hot season of high diarrhea in August-September 1980. On infants 6-11 mo old, the proportion exclusively breastfeeding was greater in the hot-season survey (40% vs. 16% in Lower Egypt, p0.01; 36% vs 22% in Upper Egypt, p0.01). Of children 12-17 months old, a higher proportion were completely weaned during the hot season in Lower Egypt only (28% vs 14%, p0.01). This difference was explained by an increase in pregnancy rates during the hot season resulting in less breastfeeding. Seasonal variation must be considered in the interpretation of infant-feeding surveys.