Risk of bottle-feeding for rapid weight gain during the first year of life

Ruowei Li1, Joselito Magadia, Sara B Fein

  • 1National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. ril6@cdc.gov

Insights

Bottle-feeding infants, regardless of milk type, showed increased weight gain compared to breastfeeding. This suggests feeding method, not just milk type, impacts infant weight gain and childhood obesity risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Childhood Obesity Research
  • Infant Nutrition

Background:

  • Breastfeeding is associated with lower childhood obesity rates.
  • The specific mechanisms linking feeding practices to infant weight gain require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between infant weight gain and the mode of milk delivery (breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding).
  • To differentiate the impact of feeding method from milk type on infant weight gain.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed 1,899 infants from birth to 1 year.
  • Multilevel analyses assessed infant weight gain based on milk type and feeding mode (breastmilk vs. bottle).

Main Results:

  • Infants fed exclusively by bottle gained significantly more weight per month than those breastfed.
  • Weight gain was negatively associated with the proportion of breastmilk feedings and positively associated with bottle-feedings.

Conclusions:

  • The mode of milk delivery (bottle-feeding) may independently influence infant weight gain.
  • Bottle-feeding practices may play a distinct role in infant weight trajectories, irrespective of milk composition.
Abstract

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