Infant feeding mode affects early growth and body composition.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Human Nutrition
• Infant Growth

Background:

• Breastfed (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants exhibit distinct growth patterns, often attributed to nutrient intake variations.
• The specific impact of these nutrient differences on infant body composition and their persistence post-weaning remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of infant feeding mode (BF vs. FF) on body composition during the first two years of life.
• To determine if early differences in body composition between BF and FF infants persist beyond the weaning period.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 40 BF and 36 FF infants.
• Repeated measurements of anthropometry and body composition (using multicomponent models, DXA, and TBC) at multiple time points from 0.5 to 24 months.
• Infant food intake was recorded at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months.

Main Results:

• Formula-fed infants showed higher weight velocity in early infancy (3-6 months).
• Breastfed infants had lower total body water, potassium, and bone mineral content in early infancy.
• Differences in fat-free mass and fat mass were observed in early infancy, with formula-fed infants showing higher fat-free mass and breastfed infants showing higher fat mass (in boys).
• Nutrient intakes were lower in BF infants at 3 and 6 months and correlated with weight and fat-free mass gain.

Conclusions:

• Infant feeding mode significantly influences body composition during early infancy.
• These feeding-related body composition differences do not persist into the second year of life.