The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #36519

José Manuel Covarrubias, MD, MN¹, Montserrat Bacardi, MD EdD¹, Elizabeth G Jones, RD MPH EdD², and Arturo Jiménez-Cruz, MD PhD¹. (1) Master of Nutrition, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, 2399 Eastridge Loop, Chula Vista, CA 91915, (619) 6568157, arturojimenezc@yahoo.com, (2) Nutrition, The Foundation for the Children of the Californias, P.O. Box 84178, San Diego, CA 92138

The purpose of this study was to compare the direct and indirect costs of infant feeding and the effect on morbidity in healthy infants, during the first 6 months of life, born at the Mexican Institute of Social Security's Maternal-Infant Hospital in Tijuana. Infant illness during that period was recorded and the incurring health care costs, along with costs for supplemental food consumed by the lactating mother, were estimated. One hundred sixty-three healthy full term neonates with body weight greater than 5.5 pounds qualified for the study. Results showed that at birth 49% (80) were exclusively breast fed, 31% (50) were given juices and glucose solutions in addition to being breast-fed and, the other 19% (33) were formula fed. At 6 months of age 42.2% continued to be exclusively breast-fed, 5.5% received breast milk and juices, 15.3% received breast milk and baby foods. Of the 19.6% that were exclusively formula fed, 3.1% were given additional juices, and 16.5% were given baby foods in addition to the formula. The direct cost of infant formula was four times greater than the estimated cost of supplemental foods consumed by the lactating mother. The RR of morbidity was 1.36(0.91-1.87) (p=0.038) for formula fed infants compared to those breast fed. The average estimated cost of health care incurred for illness for formula fed infants was 3.06 dollars compared to 1.32 dollars for those breast fed. Health care costs for the formula fed infants were 2.3 times greater than those breast fed, and could be considerably higher for patients who's medicines are not provided by the public health care system.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to analyze the cost of infant feeding practices among mothers eligible to the Mexican Social Security System, and will analyze the costs for the formula fed infants for mothers who are not eligible to the social security system.

Keywords: Breast Feeding, International MCH

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.