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Formula intake of 1- and 4-month-old infants
Insights
Energy intake in exclusively formula-fed infants was measured. One-month-old infants consumed similar energy levels to breast-fed infants, while four-month-old formula-fed infants consumed significantly more. This highlights differences in infant nutrition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Infant Feeding Practices
- Energy Metabolism in Infants
Background:
- Accurate estimation of energy intake is crucial for infant growth and development.
- Understanding differences between formula and breast milk intake is essential for pediatricians and parents.
- Variability in infant feeding can impact nutritional assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the daily energy intake of exclusively formula-fed infants at 1 and 4 months of age.
- To compare energy intake methods for formula-fed infants.
- To compare the energy intake of formula-fed infants with published data for breast-fed infants.
Main Methods:
- Studied 24 exclusively formula-fed infants (12 at 1 month, 12 at 4 months) over 5 days.
- Measured formula intake via laboratory-determined weights of consumed, spilled, and regurgitated formula.
- Validated intake estimation using test-weighing and maternal weighing methods.
Main Results:
- Estimated energy intake was 125.5 ± 17 kcal/kg for 1-month-olds and 94.0 ± 13 kcal/kg for 4-month-olds.
- Day-to-day variability in intake was 13% for 1-month-olds and 15% for 4-month-olds.
- Energy intake of 1-month-old formula-fed infants was comparable to breast-fed infants, but 4-month-old formula-fed infants consumed significantly more energy than their breast-fed counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Formula-fed infants' energy intake varies with age, with 4-month-olds consuming more than 1-month-olds.
- Energy intake in 4-month-old formula-fed infants is higher than previously reported for breast-fed infants.
- These findings have implications for understanding infant nutritional needs and growth patterns.
Abstract:
This study was designed to estimate energy intake in exclusively formula-fed infants. Formula intake of twenty-four 1- and 4-month-old infants was studied for 5 consecutive days; six boys and six girls were in each age group. Intake was estimated by laboratory-determined weights of formula consumed, spilled, and regurgitated. Two additional methods were used to estimate intake in the first nine infants during the 1st day of observation: test-weighing the infant at each feeding and mother's weighing of formula consumed, regurgitated, and spilled at each feeding. No consistent differences were detected among methods, but test-weighing appeared to have the greatest feed-to-feed variability. Intake was estimated to be 747 +/- 100 g or 125.5 +/- 17 kcal/kg, and 958 +/- 131 g or 94.0 +/- 13 kcal/kg for 1- and 4-month-old infants, respectively. The day-to-day variability (expressed as the coefficient of variation) was 13 and 15% (CV, g/kg) for 1- and 4-month-old infants, respectively. Between-infant variability of intake was approximately 8% (CV, g/kg) for both age groups. Energy intakes of 1-month-old formula-fed infants were similar to published values of breast-fed infants of similar age, but the energy intakes of 4-month-old formula-fed infants were significantly higher than values published for 4-month-old breast-fed infants.