[Feeding practices in infants: a 6-month prospective cohort study]
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S Bigot-Chantepie1, L Michaud, P Devos
1Unité de gastroentérologie, hépatologie et nutrition, clinique de pédiatrie, hôpital Jeanne-de-Flandre, avenue Eugene-Avinee, 59037 Lille, France.
Insights
Half of infants received solid foods too early, with formula-fed infants and mothers over 35 being at higher risk for inappropriate complementary feeding.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
- Infant Health
Context:
- Complementary feeding practices significantly impact infant health and development.
- Early introduction of solids can lead to inappropriate infant nutrition.
- Understanding factors influencing complementary feeding timing is crucial for public health.
Purpose:
- To assess the timing of complementary feeding in infants.
- To identify factors associated with inappropriate complementary feeding practices.
- To pinpoint at-risk populations for targeted nutritional interventions.
Summary:
- A prospective cohort study analyzed 167 newborns to evaluate complementary feeding timing.
- Fifty-two percent of infants started complementary feeding before 4 months.
- Mothers over 35, multigravida mothers, and those using infant formula before 4 months were more likely to introduce solids early.
Impact:
- Identifies a significant proportion of infants receiving solid foods prematurely.
- Highlights specific maternal and infant feeding factors linked to early complementary feeding.
- Provides evidence to inform nutritional intervention programs for at-risk populations.
Unlabelled:
The aims of this work were to assess timing of complementary feeding in infants and to precise the underlying factors that may cause inappropriate complementary feeding.
Patients And Methods:
A cohort of 167 newborns, born in the same maternity ward during a 6 week-period, was prospectively analyzed. Only healthy neonates were included in the study. A phone questionnaire was filled at 4 and 6 months of age to evaluate modality of complementary feeding. Multivariate analysis (segmentation tree, analyse by multiple correspondence) was used to study factors associated with inappropriate diversification.
Results:
Out of the 167 neonates included in the study, 132 mothers could be contacted at 4 months and 116 at 6 months of age. Sixty-seven per cent of mothers started breast feeding at birth. Among these, 33% still breastfed -at least partially- at 4 months and 17% at 6 months. Fifty-two percent of mothers started complementary feeding before 4 months, and 24% of infants received gluten at 4 months of age. Multi-gravida mothers, mothers aged more than 35 years old and mothers who gave infant or follow-up formulae before 4 months, started complementary feeding significantly earlier (P<0.05). Infants who were formula fed received more frequently complementary feeding before the age of 4 months than breast fed infants (57% vs 33%, P<0.05).
Conclusion:
Our study showed that half of infants were introduced solid food too early and allowed to identify a population at risk that could benefit from nutritional intervention programs.
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