Breastfeeding during late pregnancy did not affect infant breast milk consumption and growth (1017.2)

Abstract

Objective: The one thousand days window is the most important period when maternal nutrition demands and infant feeding practices affect infant development. We explored if the practice of breastfeeding until the third trimester of pregnancy affects birth outcomes and infant breast milk (BM) consumption and growth. Methods: Between 2009 and 2013, a cohort of 162 pregnant women was followed from the third trimester of pregnancy through 6 months postpartum in a peri‐urban community in Lima, Peru. The cohort included two groups: group 1 (cases) consisted of pregnant women who reported that they continued to breastfeed their child during the third trimester of pregnancy; group 2 (controls) consisted of pregnant women who had not breastfed during their pregnancy or if they did, it was only in the first trimester. The cohort was visited pre‐ and postpartum when toddler and infant 24‐h BM consumption and anthropometry were measured, respectively. Results: We compared 81 case‐control pairs. Of the 49 cases who accepted a prenatal visit, around 60% of the toddlers had 0 g of BM intake during 24 h, even though an average of 4 breastfeeds was observed. No significant difference was found between cases and controls regarding birth weight, birth length, and BM consumption at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th month postpartum (all p>0.10). Conclusion: There was no effect of the practice of breastfeeding until the third trimester of pregnancy on birth outcomes and infant BM consumption or growth during the first six months of life.Grant Funding Source: Supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research