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Association of infant feeding practices in the general population with infant growth and stool characteristics

Youngshin Han1, Eun-Young Chang, Jihyun Kim

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 135-710, Korea.

Nutrition Research and Practice
|October 14, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Infant growth was similar across breast milk, goat formula, and cow formula diets. Cow formula led to fewer, more formed stools, while goat formula stools resembled breast milk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Infant feeding practices significantly impact growth and gut health.
  • Understanding the effects of different milk sources, including goat milk infant formula, is crucial for pediatric nutrition.
  • Cow milk infant formula is widely used, but its effect on stool characteristics warrants comparison with other feeding options.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the growth outcomes and stool characteristics of infants fed breast milk, goat infant formula, or cow infant formula.
  • To assess the impact of different milk feeding types on infant development up to 12 months of age.
  • To provide insights into the suitability of goat milk-based infant formula as an alternative.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study involving 976 infants from birth to 12 months.
  • Data collected on milk feeding type (breast milk, goat formula, cow formula, combination) for the first 4 months.
  • Infant growth (weight, height) and stool characteristics (frequency, consistency) were monitored at birth, 4, 8, and 12 months.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in infant growth (weight and height) were observed between groups fed breast milk, goat infant formula, or cow infant formula.
  • Infants fed cow infant formula exhibited fewer and more well-formed bowel motions compared to breast-fed infants.
  • Stool characteristics of infants fed goat infant formula were similar to those of breast-fed infants.

Conclusions:

  • Breast milk, goat infant formula, and cow infant formula support comparable infant growth up to 12 months.
  • Cow infant formula may lead to changes in stool consistency, resulting in fewer and more formed bowel movements.
  • Goat infant formula presents a stool profile similar to breast milk, suggesting potential benefits for gut comfort.

Keywords:
Infant formulagrowthinfants

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