Prevalence of eczema in breast feed versus bottled feed

Abstract

Objective: To compare the prevalence of eczema in infants who are exclusively breastfed versus those who are bottle-fed during the first six months of life.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan from 8 July 2023 to 7 January 2024 among infants aged 6 months to 2 years attending pediatric outpatient clinics. Feeding practices were recorded based on caregiver interviews, categorizing infants as either exclusively breastfed or bottle-fed. The diagnosis of eczema was made clinically by a pediatrician using standard diagnostic criteria. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the prevalence between the two groups.

Results: In a study of 200 infants aged 1 month to 2 years, eczema prevalence was significantly higher in bottle-fed (28%) than breastfed (12%) children (p = 0.004). Among males, 28.6% of bottle-fed and 11.1% of breastfed had eczema (p = 0.016), while in females, rates were 27.3% and 13.0%, respectively (p = 0.046). Eczema was more common in bottle-fed infants across both normal BMI (17.2% vs. 7.3%, p = 0.047) and overweight categories (42.9% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significantly higher prevalence of eczema among bottle-fed children compared to breastfed children aged 1 month to 2 years, highlighting the protective role of breastfeeding against early childhood eczema.