Growth of infants during the first year of life according to feeding regimen in the first 4 months

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the first-year growth of infants who had received different feeding regimens throughout the first 4 months. Anthropometric measurements of 332 infants attending a well child clinic were analysed. The infants were divided into four groups: exclusively breastfed (BF), predominantly BF, partially BF, and non-BF. Exclusively BF infants were significantly heavier in the first 2 months of life compared to partially BF or non-BF infants. Weight and length measurements of the predominantly BF infants were almost identical to those of the exclusively BF group at all ages. Our data show that the exclusively BF infants have a different growth pattern during the first year of life than those of partially BF or non-BF infants.