BREAST MILK FEEDING (BMF) AND INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD)

Abstract

The cause of IBD is unknown. It has been suggested that lack of BMF and early introduction of artificial feeding with cow's milk protein (CMP) may increase the liability to chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) later in life. (E.D. Acheson and S.C. Truelove, Brit. Med. J. 4:929, 1961). The purpose of the present study was to document infant feeding practices (IFP) in patients with IBD. Mothers of 83 patients with IBD were personally interviewed by one of us (AS) on a number of occasions and a history of IFP in their children obtained. Fifty-two patients had Crohn's disease and 31 had CUC. All were seen during a 5 year period from 1978 to 1983. Sixty two patients were born in the decade 1961 to 1970 and 21 between 1971 and 1982. IFP were divided into 3 groups. BMF only for more than 6 months - 2(2.5%) BMF with CMP introduced from birth to 4 months of age - 7(8.5%) and no BMF and CMP introduced at birth - 74(89%). At 1 week of age BMF alone occured in 8 or 9.6% of our patients. This compares with the national average for the same age, which ranged from 24.9% to 28.4% during 1961 - 1970 and 24.9% to 56.4% during 1970 - 1981 (G.A. Martinez and D.A. Dodd. Peds. 71:166, 1983). The cause of IBD is probably multifactorial. These data suggest that BMF may be protective and that early introduction of dietary foreign protein antigen, especially CMP may play an important role in the subsequent development of IBD in children and adolescents.