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Growth patterns of breast-fed infants in affluent (United States) and poor (Peru) communities: implications for
K G Dewey1, J M Peerson, M J Heinig
1Program in International Nutrition, University of California, Davis 95616-8669.
Insights
Growth faltering in Peruvian infants is not due to poor breast milk supply. It appears after six months, linked to lower nutrient intake from complementary foods and higher illness rates.
Area of Science:
- Human growth and development
- Nutritional science
- Pediatric health
Background:
- Infant growth faltering is a significant global health concern.
- Breastfeeding is recommended for infant nutrition, but growth patterns can vary.
- Previous assessments often use formula-fed reference data, potentially misinterpreting breastfed infant growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the growth, dietary intake, and morbidity of breastfed infants from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
- To evaluate infant growth against both standard reference data and a well-nourished breastfed cohort.
- To determine if lactation performance or other factors contribute to growth differences.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study of two infant populations: Davis, CA (USA) and Huascar (Peru).
- Longitudinal assessment of growth (weight, length) for infants breastfed for at least 12 months.
- Evaluation of dietary intake (breast milk, complementary foods) and morbidity rates.
Main Results:
- Huascar infants showed growth similar to Davis infants until 6-12 months, depending on sex.
- After 6 months, Huascar infants exhibited slower growth compared to Davis infants.
- Breast milk intake was comparable; however, Huascar infants had lower intake and nutrient density of complementary foods and higher morbidity.
Conclusions:
- Growth faltering in Huascar infants, relative to US breastfed infants, occurs after 6 months.
- The primary cause is not poor lactation performance but rather inadequate complementary feeding and higher morbidity.
- This highlights the critical role of complementary nutrition and health in sustained infant growth.
Abstract:
We compared growth, dietary intake, and morbidity of infants breast-fed for > or = 12 mo from two populations: Davis, CA (n = 46) and Huascar, Peru (n = 52). When compared against WHO reference data (based primarily on formula-fed infants), Huascar infants appeared to falter as early as 3-4 mo, but when compared with Davis breast-fed infants, the curves for weight and length were very similar in girls until 10-12 mo and in boys until 6-9 mo. Thereafter, Huascar infants grew less rapidly than did Davis infants. Breast milk intake was very similar between groups, but in Huascar the amount and nutrient density of complementary foods consumed after 6 mo were lower and morbidity rates were much higher than in Davis. These results indicate that growth faltering of Huascar infants, when judged against breast-fed infants in the United States, occurs primarily after the first 6 mo of life and is not due to poor lactation performance.