Can Breast Feeding and Measles Vaccination in Childhood be Considered as Risk Factors for Later Inflammatory Bowel Diseases?

Abstract

Background: It is claimed that the interaction of altering immune system bowel maturation, and measles vaccine predispose the body to inflammatory bowel diseasesAlso it is proposed that breastmilk components during infancy, regulatemucosal immune activity to antigen and have protective role for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Materials and Methods: This study was a case-control study. Data were collected from patients' evidences and questionnaires that were filled up by face to face method for each groups of patients (including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) and control groups (including IBS and GERD) They were selected from the patients ‹ 40 years who came to 3 clinics in Tehran during 2005 to 2008.Statistical analysis was performed in two steps univariate and multivariate analysis, using SPSS-16 software.

Results: Ulcerative colitis group included 143 patients, Crohn's disease group involved 148 cases and control group included 307 patients. Breastfeeding in Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's groups had been less common than in control group (81.1% versus 88.3% and 83.8% versus 88.3% respectively), but the differences were not significant. (P-Values were 0.225 and 0.397 respectively) The difference between ulcerative colitis group and control group in measles vaccination rate (93% versus 89.9% respectively) was not significant (P=0.121). Both Crohn's disease group and control group had vaccination rate of 89.9% (P=0.481). There was not significant correlation between previous exposure to smoking, measles vaccination and breast feeding during infancy with extent and location of gastrointestinal involvement in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (p›0.05).

Conclusion: Breast feeding and measles vaccination during infancy do not correlate with later ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in adulthood. There was not any correlation between smoking, easles vaccination and breast feeding with extent and location of gastrointestinal involvement in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.