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Weight reference charts for British long-term breastfed infants
T J Cole1, A A Paul, R G Whitehead
1Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, London, UK. tim.cole@ich.ucl.ac.uk
Insights
The British 1990 weight reference imperfectly reflects the growth of breastfed infants. New breastfeeding-specific growth charts are needed to accurately monitor infant weight gain.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Growth Monitoring
- Infant Nutrition Research
Background:
- The British 1990 reference is a standard for infant growth but may not accurately represent exclusively breastfed infants.
- Accurate growth monitoring is crucial for infant health and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop modified weight reference curves specifically for long-term breastfed infants.
- To assess the accuracy of the British 1990 reference for this population.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed weight data from 120 exclusively breastfed infants from birth to 52 weeks.
- Utilized the British 1990 reference to calculate standard deviation scores (SDS) and construct modified median weight curves.
- Assumed similar variability and skewness to the British reference for constructing other centile curves.
Main Results:
- Long-term breastfed infants were slightly heavier at birth compared to the reference.
- Infants showed an upward centile crossing to +0.3 SDS at 2 months, followed by a downward trend to -0.2 SDS by 12 months.
- The mean weight for breastfed infants fell by 0.5 SDS between 2 and 12 months.
Conclusions:
- The British 1990 reference has limitations in reflecting the growth patterns of exclusively breastfed infants.
- Breastfeeding-specific centile charts are recommended for improved monitoring of weight in these infants.
- These specialized charts can aid healthcare professionals and parents in accurately assessing infant growth.
Aim:
To produce a modification of the British 1990 weight reference reflecting the growth of long-term breastfed infants.
Methods:
120 infants from the Cambridge Infant Growth Study fed breast milk (with no formula) for at least 24 wk, with solids introduced at a mean age of 15 wk, were weighed every 4 wk from birth to 52 wk. Weights were converted to standard deviation scores (SDS) for gender and age post-term based on the revised British 1990 reference, averaged and smoothed across age, and then converted back to weights to provide modified median weight curves by gender. Other centile curves were constructed assuming the same variability and skewness by age as for the British reference.
Results:
Long-term breastfed infants were slightly heavier than the reference at birth and crossed centiles upwards to reach +0.3 SDS at 2 mo, but subsequently crossed centiles downwards to -0.2 SDS by 12 mo.
Conclusion:
The British 1990 reference, although better than previous growth standards, reflects the growth of long-term breastfed infants only imperfectly, with mean weight falling by 0.5 SDS from 2 to 12 mo. The provision of breastfeeding-specific centiles, either as a transparent overlay or as an alternative chart, should be useful for professionals and parents to monitor the weight of long-term breastfed infants.
