Full breast-feeding for at least four months has differential effects on growth before and after six months of age among children in a Mexican community

Citation
Cl. Eckhardt et al., Full breast-feeding for at least four months has differential effects on growth before and after six months of age among children in a Mexican community, J NUTR, 131(9), 2001, pp. 2304-2309
Citations number
23
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Food Science/Nutrition","Endocrinology, Nutrition & Metabolism
Journal title
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
ISSN journal
0022-3166 → ACNP
Volume
131
Issue
9
Year of publication
2001
Pages
2304 - 2309
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-3166(200109)131:9<2304:FBFALF>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between breast-feeding and growth from 0 to 6 and 6 to 20 mo among 185 children in a Mexican community. Infants f rom a previous 6-mo longitudinal study were followed up for additional anth ropometric measurements at a mean age of 19.9 mo. Size at 6 mo and at follo w-up were modeled as outcomes of whether infants were fully breast-fed (exc lusively or predominantly breast-fed) for at least 4 mo, controlling for si ze at birth and 6 mo, respectively, and potential confounders. From birth t o 6 mo, fully breast-fed infants had ponderal index increments of 0.07 unit s larger (P = 0.04) than comparison infants. There were no differences in w eight. For length, an interaction between full breast-feeding and socioecon omic status (SES) was found, with fully breast-fed infants of low SES growi ng more than comparison infants, whereas the opposite was seen at upper SES levels. From 6 to 20 mo, fully breast-fed infants had weight and length in crements of 0.53 cm (P < 0.001) and 0.72 kg (P = 0.01) smaller than those o f comparison infants. For ponderal index, an interaction between mother's e ducation and breast-feeding revealed an inverted U-shaped response across l evels of education. Additionally, logistic regressions of monthly breast-fe eding on lagged measurements revealed that relatively heavier infants had h igher odds of being fully breast-fed at 2 and 3 mo. Our findings indicate t hat the benefits of full breast-feeding on growth may be most pronounced ea rly in life. Further research of unmeasured confounders may explain the ass ociation of full breast-feeding with slower growth beyond 6 mo.