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Effects of formula supplementation in breast-fed infants with failure to thrive

Irena Hren1, Natasa Fidler Mis, Jernej Brecelj

  • 1Dietetics and Nutrition Unit, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Pediatrics International : Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society
|May 8, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Formula supplementation improved growth in infants with failure to thrive, maintaining breastfeeding in most cases. This intervention offers a viable option for enhancing infant weight gain without compromising the breastfeeding relationship.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infant Nutrition
  • Growth Monitoring

Background:

  • Infants with failure to thrive often present with underweight and require nutritional support.
  • Assessing the impact of formula supplementation on growth while preserving breastfeeding is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if formula supplementation can improve underweight in infants experiencing failure to thrive.
  • To determine if breastfeeding can be maintained during formula supplementation.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective intervention study involved 31 exclusively breast-fed infants diagnosed with failure to thrive.
  • Infants received ad libitum infant formula after each breastfeeding session, with continued breastfeeding support.

Main Results:

  • Daily energy intake significantly increased with formula supplementation.
  • While human milk intake decreased, 81% of infants continued partial or full breastfeeding.
  • Supplementation over 31 days resulted in significant improvements in weight, length, and head circumference standard deviation scores.

Conclusions:

  • Formula supplementation is an effective method to improve growth in infants with failure to thrive.
  • This approach successfully enhanced growth in 72% of participants while preserving breastfeeding in the majority.
Abstract

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