THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEEDING ON THE BASIC PARAMETERS OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS LIVING IN GOMEL DURING THEIR FIRST YEAR OF LIFE

Abstract

Aim of research: to carry out comparative assessment of monthly gains of length, body mass, head circumference, and chest circumference in healthy full-term infants during their first year of life receiving different types of feeding. Material and methods of research. We have analyzed monthly gains of the basic parameters of physical development of 200 full-term infants by the results of the retrospective survey of histories of infant development performed at Branch No. 3 of state health institution «Gomel City Central Children`s Out-Patient Clinic». Results. We have revealed accelerated gains of body mass, head circumference, and chest circumference in the first quarter and some lag of these parameters in other periods (as compared to the parameters recommended by the WHO). At the same time, the gain of body length practically did not differ from the standard one. On the whole, the average gains of body mass and body length, head circumference, and chest circumference in most the infants by 12 months did not differ from the standard ones. Only the girls receiving artificial feeding noted an inadequate gain of body length in comparison with the standard one (22.34 and 25 см correspondingly; -10.6 %), and those who were receiving natural feeding detected a decrease of the average gain of chest circumference by 10.4 %. Conclusion. We have found uneven rates of gains of the basic parameters of physical development in contemporary infants during their first year of life which do not depend on the type of feeding.