Breast-feeding is linked to a lower incidence of fever after immunizations, according to the results of a prospective cohort study reported online May 17 in Pediatrics.
At a pediatric vaccination center in Naples, Italy, mothers of infants scheduled for routine vaccinations were invited to participate in the study and were asked about the incidence of fever of their babies 3 days after the immunizations.
Of 450 infants recruited and reported, fever was reported in 30 (25%) of exclusively breast-fed infants, in 48 (31%) of partially breast-fed infants, and in 94 (53%) of infants who were not breast-fed at all (P < .01).
Among infants who were exclusively breast-fed, the relative risk for fever was 54% lower than infants who were not breast-fed at all (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33 -0.66). Likewise, infants who were partially breast-fed infants have 42% lower risk of having fever (95% CI, 0.44-0.77).
This study suggested that breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk for fever after immunization.
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Source: online, Pediatrics, May 17, 2010.
