Background: Though factors such as breastfeeding (BF), cow's milk formula, and cereals are among the dietary factors linked to T1D development, their role is still debatable.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between BF patterns and the development of T1D.  
Subjects and Methods: The study is an epidemiologic hospital-based case-control study in Ismalia city, Egypt. 140 children 15 months- to 13 -year-old, from both sexes were included in two groups; the T1D cases (n=70) and the nondiabetic; age-and-sex-matched, control group (n=70).
Results: The proportion of children who received exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) was low in both cases and controls but significantly loweramong cases (11% vs 53% respectively, P<0.05) with almost nine times rise in the odds of T1D. More T1D children depended on formula feeding (FF) during their infancy than controls (40% vs 14% respectively, P<0.05) with four folds rise in the odds of T1D. T1D patients who had FF (n= 28) started it at an earlier age compared to controls who had FF (n=10) (mean age 3.2 vs 12.3 months respectively, P<0.05). Likewise, the onset of weaning took place at the age of four months among T1D cases vs five months among controls (P<0.05). No association was detected between T1D and the sociodemographic or maternal obstetric factors.
Conclusion: Short-term BF or no BF at all may be a substantial risk factor for T1D. FF and the early age at its start increase the odds of T1D.