OBJECTIVES: to study the relationship between early exposure to cow's milk and Diabetes Mellitus, type 1 among children under 18 years old seen at the Hospital Universitário Alcides Carneiro, in Campina Grande. METHODS: case-control study. Sample of 128 individuals of both sexes. Sixty-four mothers with Diabetes Mellitus type 1 and 64 mothers of a control group. Univariate and multivariate analysis was accomplished through logistic and conditional regression. RESULTS: 84,4% of diabetic individuals were exposed to cow mild before four months of age while in the control group this percentage was 64,1%. Univariate analysis determined a significant statistic association between early exposure to cow's milk and Diabetes (p = 0,01). In multivariate analysis this association remained and estimated odds ratio was of 4,09 (95% CI: 14,04; p = 0,01). CONCLUSIONS: results indicate a strong association between children with early exposure to cow's milk and Diabetes Mellitus type 1 events in the population studied. Therefore, children with early exposure to cow's milk have a higher chance of acquiring the disease when compared with those who were exclusively breastfed until at least until four months old.
Diabetes mellitus; Breast feeding; Milk substitutes (Public health)
