Relationship between Mothers’ Ingestion of Fava Beans and Occurrence of Favism Attack among Their Breastfed Infants

Background: Favism is genetic acute hemolytic anemia that results from the ingestion of fava
beans and associated with Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Thus, breastfed
infants that have favism certain foods can potentially pass via the breast milk and cause hemolysis.
Aim: to assess the relationship between mothers’ ingestion of fava beans and occurrence of favism
attack among their breastfed infants. Design: a correlational descriptive design was conducted.
Sample: A purposive sample of 50 mothers and their breastfed infants suffered from favism were
involved in the study. Setting: The study was carried out at outpatient clinic of hematology and
emergency outpatient clinic at Pediatric University Hospital which affiliated to Cairo University
Hospitals. Tools: The following tools were utilized for data collection: (1) Interviewing
questionnaire that included demographic data for the studied infants and their mothers, and (2) A
structured questionnaire used to assess the relationship between mothers’ ingestion of fava beans
and occurrence of favism attack. Results: the current study findings revealed that nearly two thirds
of infants were between 6 to <12 months of age, most of mothers ingested fava beans before
breastfeeding with mean duration 2.38±1.52 hours and the mean duration of infants' occurrence of
favism attack after their mothers ingested fava beans and give breastfeeding was 46.48±10.91hours.
Also there were highly statistically significant differences between frequency of occurrence for favism
attack and infants' age, family history of G6PD deficiency and a statistical significant difference was
found with the male gender. Conclusion: The current study concluded that there were highly
statistically significant differences between infants’ frequency of occurrence of favism attack and infants'
breastfeeding status, time and type of fava beans ingested by their mothers, a statistical significant
difference was found between infants' occurrence of favism attack with mothers ingestion for large
amount of fava beans, duration of mothers ingestion of fava beans before infants' breastfeeding while
no statistical significant difference was found with names of fava beans. Recommendations: health
education program should be designed and provided for mothers of children with G6PD deficiency
particularly favism for prevention and management.