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Functional constipation symptoms and complementary feeding methods: A randomized clinical trial
Renata Oliveira Neves1, Leandro Meirelles Nunes2, Larissa de Oliveira Silveira3
1Programa de Postgrado en Salud Infantil y Adolescente, Facultad de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Río Grande del Sur, Brazil.
Insights
Introducing solid foods to infants did not impact constipation. This study found no link between parent-led weaning, Baby-led Introduction to SolidS (BLISS), or mixed approaches and infant constipation symptoms at 12 months.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infant Nutrition
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Functional constipation is a common concern in infants.
- Complementary feeding practices are believed to influence infant gut health.
- Understanding the impact of different feeding methods is crucial for infant well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of three complementary feeding methods on functional constipation in 12-month-old infants.
- To compare parent-led weaning (PLW), Baby-led Introduction to SolidS (BLISS), and a mixed approach.
- To determine if feeding method influences constipation prevalence.
Main Methods:
- A randomized clinical trial involving 135 mother-infant dyads.
- Infants were introduced to complementary foods at 5.5 months via PLW, BLISS, or a mixed approach.
- Constipation symptoms were assessed at 12 months using Rome IV criteria via an online questionnaire.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of constipation symptoms was 49.6%.
- Constipation prevalence was 60% in the PLW group, 47.9% in the BLISS group, and 40.5% in the mixed approach group.
- No statistically significant association was found between the complementary feeding method and functional constipation symptoms (P = .183).
Conclusions:
- Functional constipation symptoms were highly prevalent in the studied infant population.
- The chosen method for introducing complementary foods was not associated with the development of constipation symptoms.
- Current complementary feeding strategies do not appear to influence the likelihood of infant constipation.
Introduction:
The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of different complementary feeding methods on the prevalence of functional constipation symptoms in infants at 12 months of age.
Material And Methods:
Randomized clinical trial in mother-infant dyads that underwent the intervention at 5.5 months post birth, randomly allocated to one of three complementary food introduction methods: PLW (parent-led weaning), Baby-led Introduction to SolidS (BLISS) and a mixed approach. The symptoms of constipation were assessed at 12 months with an online questionnaire based on the Rome IV diagnostic criteria and adapted to our sample. The data were summarised as absolute frequencies and percentages and compared by means of the χ2 test. The project was approved by the ethics committee of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre under number 2019-0230.
Results:
We analysed data corresponding to 135 infants, 45 allocated to PLW, 48 to BLISS and 42 to the mixed approach. The prevalence of constipation symptoms was 49.6% in the overall sample (n = 67), 60% (n = 27) in the PLW group, 47.9% (n = 23) in the BLISS group and 40.5% (n = 17) in the mixed approach group. We found no association between functional constipation symptoms and the method used to introduce complementary foods (P = .183).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of functional constipation symptoms was high in the study population. The presence of constipation symptoms was not associated with the complementary feeding approach.
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