The association of breast feeding and nutritional status of children 13-36 months of age /

Previous studies failed to report benefits of prolonged breast feeding on nutritional status. A nationally representative sample of 1411 children from Sri Lanka (1987) was used to compare breast feeders versus non breast feeders, as well as duration of breast feeding, through multivariate analyses for height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores. Analyses of interaction showed prolonged breast feeding to be advantageous among children of working mothers, and children from households using an unimproved water supply. For example, children 35 months of age, breast fed for 24 versus 8 months were 0.9 centimetres (95% confidence interval; +0.0, 1.8) taller if mothers worked and 420 grams (140, 690) heavier if households used an unimproved water supply. Among uneducated mothers breast fed children were 1.3 cm (2.2, 3.3) shorter than non breast fed children. Prolonged breast feeding should be encouraged as it is advantageous for the nutritional status of certain subgroups of children older than 12 months of age