Table 2

Associations between maternal education, pregnancy smoking, pregnancy overweight, low exclusive breast feeding and hospitalisations for all respiratory and enteric infections

All infectionsRespiratory infectionsEnteric infections
Model 1Model 2Model 1Model 2Model 1Model 2
IRR (95% CI)IRR (95% CI)IRR (95% CI)IRR (95% CI)IRR (95% CI)IRR (95% CI)
Maternal education (years)
 ≥151 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)
 13–141.06 (0.98 to 1.14)1.03 (0.95 to 1.11)1.01 (0.90 to 1.14)0.99 (0.88 to 1.11)0.93 (0.78 to 1.11)0.91 (0.76 to 1.08)
 10–121.11 (1.05 to 1.18)1.03 (0.97 to 1.10)1.10 (1.01 to 1.20)1.03 (0.95 to 1.13)1.04 (0.91 to 1.18)0.96 (0.84 to 1.10)
 ≤91.38 (1.26 to 1.51)1.21 (1.11 to 1.33)1.37 (1.20 to 1.56)1.23 (1.07 to 1.41)1.30 (1.08 to 1.57)1.13 (0.93 to 1.38)
Pregnancy smoking
 No1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)
 Yes1.26 (1.15 to 1.37)1.08 (0.99 to 1.19)1.22 (1.07 to 1.40)1.06 (0.92 to 1.22)1.28 (1.07 to 1.53)1.09 (0.91 to 1.32)
Excess weight during pregnancy*
 No1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)
 Yes1.12 (1.06 to 1.18)1.06 (1.00 to 1.12)1.11 (1.02 to 1.20)1.05 (0.97 to 1.14)1.01 (0.90 to 1.13)0.95 (0.84 to 1.07)
Low EBF†
 No1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)1 (ref)
 Yes1.44 (1.37 to 1.51)1.39 (1.32 to 1.47)1.37 (1.26 to 1.48)1.33 (1.22 to 1.44)1.59 (1.42 to 1.79)1.58 (1.40 to 1.78)
  • Model 1 adjusted for maternal age, maternal country of birth and year of birth. Model 2 adjusted for maternal age, maternal country of birth, year of birth, maternal education, pregnancy smoking, excess weight during pregnancy and low exclusive breast feeding. Analyses included all 63 216 children.

  • *Excess weight during pregnancy was defined as pregnancy BMI ≥25 kg/m2 at the first antenatal care visit.

  • †Low EBF was defined as exclusive breast feeding <4 months.

  • BMI, body mass index; IRR, incidence rate ratio;