Submission: 11 November 2025 | Acceptance: 27 December 2025 | Publication: 20 January 2026
1Dr Saba Wamiq, 2Dr Mansoor Musa, 3Dr Tahmoor Ghori, 4Waqas Ali, 5Dr Nazneen Tabassum, 6Dr Qasim Raza
1MBBS, FCPS (Pediatric Medicine), Assistant professor, Department of pediatric medicine, Multan medical and dental college /ibn-e- siena hospital and research Institute Multan, Pakistan
2Assistant Professor, Poonch Medical College, CMH Rawlakot
3Professor of Medicine, Bolan Medical College, Quetta
4Associate Professor, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital Lahore
5Senior House Officer, Hope Family Clinic Faisalabad
6Assistant Professor, Nishtar University Hospital Multan
ABSTRACT:
Background: Breast milk was known to be an important milestone in the ideal development of infants, immunity and survival during the first six months of life. Poor infant feeding behaviour had played a significant role in the faltering of growth, high rate of infection and infant morbidity in the low- and middle-income countries. The number of regions that conducted the recent breastfeeding conventions recommended was still below the optimum rate even in Pakistan. Thus, its effects on the parameters of growth and morbidity rates among newborns were under review to reinforce the morbidity and child and maternal health policies.
Aim: This research set out to determine the effects of exclusive breastfeeding on growth and morbidity in infants to the age of six months.
Methods: The paper presents a descriptive prospective study carried out at Pakistan Institute of medical sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, between the period of September 2024 and August 2025. The enrolment of 90 babies aged ≤6 months was performed by the non-probability consecutive sampling strategy. Infants were classified into two types according to the feeding practices; exclusively breastfed and non-exclusively breastfed. The growth parameters such as weight, length and head circumference were measured both at the time of enrollment and on follow up visits. Outcomes of morbidity in terms of frequency of diarrhea, respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations were gathered using maternal interviews, and clinical records. The SPSS version 26.0 was used to analyze the data. The comparisons across groups were done in terms of chi-square and independent t-test with p-value of less than 0.05 being accepted as statistically significant.
Results: The mean weight, length and head circumference of infants who were exclusively breastfed were significantly higher in the group of infants who were exclusively breastfed than their non-exclusively breastfed counterparts (p <0.05). Diarrhea and respiratory tract infections were significantly lower in case of exclusively breastfed infants. Hospital admissions were lower also in the breastfed group only. Generally, breastfeeding only was linked with better development and decreased morbidity in the first six months of life.
Conclusion: Six months of exclusive breastfeeding had a considerable positive influence on infants and a protective attribute against prevalent childhood illnesses. The health of the infants should be enhanced by intensifying promotion of exclusive breastfeeding using maternal education and community-based health programs.
Keywords: Diarrhea, Pakistan, Infant growth, Exclusive breastfeeding.