Abstract
BackgroundThe relation between infant feeding and growth has been extensively evaluated, but studies examining the volume of formula milk consumption on infant growth are limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of early feeding of larger volumes of formula on growth and risk of overweight in later infancy.MethodsIn total, 1093 infants were studied prospectively. Milk records collected at 3 mo of age were used to define the following 3 feeding groups: breast milk feeding (BM, no formula), lower-volume formula milk feeding (LFM, <840 ml formula/d), and higher-volume formula milk feeding (HFM, ≥840 ml formula/d). Body weight and length were measured at 3 time points of 3, 6 and 12 mo of age.ResultsThe results showed that the difference in weight and length between the HFM and BM infants was significant at 3 mo of age (P < 0.05) and continued until 12 mo of age (P < 0.001). The adjusted mean changes in weight-for-length z-scores (WLZ) and BMI-for-age z-scores (BAZ) from 3 to 6 mo of age were significantly higher in HFM and LFM group than in BM group. Two-way interactions between feeding practice and age intervals were significant for WLZ changes (P = 0.002) and BAZ changes (P = 0.017). Compared with BM-fed infants, infants fed with HFM had 1.60-fold (95% CI 1.05–2.44) higher odds of greater body weight (1SD < WLZ ≤2 SD) at the age of 6 mo and 1.55-fold (95% CI 1.01–2.37) higher odds of greater body weight and 2.13-fold (95% CI 1.03–4.38) higher odds of overweight (WLZ > 2 SD) at the age of 12 mo.ConclusionFeeding higher volumes of formula in early infancy is associated with greater body weight and overweight in later infancy.
Highlights
The relation between infant feeding and growth has been extensively evaluated, but studies examining the volume of formula milk consumption on infant growth are limited
Descriptive For this study,1093 healthy full-term infants were included in the final analysis. Based on their feeding practice at 3 months of age (Table 1), they were classified into the No formula milk (BM) feeding group (610, 55.5%), lower-volume formula milk feeding (LFM) feeding group (363, 33.2%) and Higher-volume formula milk feeding (HFM) feeding group (120, 13.2%)
The results showed that mothers who fed breast milk to their infants had a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) before pregnancy (68.2% vs 65.6% vs 56.7%, p < 0.05) and no cesarean deliveries (42.3% vs 36.4% vs 19.2%, p < 0.001) compared to both LFM and HFM mothers
Summary
The relation between infant feeding and growth has been extensively evaluated, but studies examining the volume of formula milk consumption on infant growth are limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of early feeding of larger volumes of formula on growth and risk of overweight in later infancy. Infancy is a period of fast growth and weight gain, and infants who gain more weight during infancy become susceptible to obesity in childhood or later life [1,2,3,4,5]. Feeding patterns such as breastfeeding or formulas-feeding are the main factors that affect the growth and development in infancy [6, 7]. Few studies have focused on differences in the growth and risk of overweight in infants fed with different type and volume of milk in early infancy
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have