Interrelations among child mortality, breastfeeding, and fertility in Egypt, 1975-80

This report examines the relationship between reproductive behavior and child survivalin Egypt. The relationship is of fundamental importance to an understanding of demographic dynamics and for the formulation of population policies. Using Egyptian data from 1975-80, it was found that weaning children in infancy increases ths risk of death for children under five. Early weaning is responsible for up to 29 percent of Egyptian children's deaths. Children whose mothers become pregnant again are more likely to die if the pregnancy begins while the child is still an infant. Ending breastfeeding is responsible for up to 41 percent of pregnancies - 52 percent among women who do not use contraceptives. Breastfeeding lasts an average of 17 to 18 months in Egypt, so policy probably should not encourage all women to breastfeed longer, but women who breastfeed for only short periods should probably be encouraged to breastfeed longer. Parents should be encouraged to be more careful about childcare and children's diet and hygiene after weaning. An important feature of this analysis is that fertility was examined simultaneously with child survival and breastfeeding, as three components of a system. The analysis involved regression models for the hazard, or risk, of three events occurring after a live birth: another pregnancy, weaning, or the death of the child.