Es Niño o Niña?: Gender Differences in Feeding Practices and Obesity Risk among Latino Infants

Obesity prevalence is significantly higher among Latino boys than girls. Weight status at 12 mo, a significant predictor of childhood obesity, is associated with feeding practices during infancy.

The objectives were to examine breastfeeding and formula-feeding practices overall and by infant gender and to examine relations among infant gender, milk-feeding practices, and obesity risk among Latino infants over the first year of life.

Latino mother-infant dyads (n = 90) were recruited from a pediatric clinic. Mothers were interviewed at regular intervals (infants aged 2, 4, 6, and 9 mo), and 24-h feeding recalls were conducted when infants were aged 6 and 9 mo. Infants' lengths and weights were retrieved from clinic records to calculate weight-for-length percentiles. A bivariate analysis was conducted to compare feeding practices by gender and mediation analysis to test whether feeding practices mediated the relation between gender and obesity risk.

The majority (80%) of mothers were born outside the United States. In early infancy, mixed feeding of formula and breastfeeding was common. At 6 and 9 mo of age, milk-feeding practices differed, with formula feeding more common for boys than girls. At 12 mo, 38% of infants experienced obesity risk (≥85th weight-for-length percentile). Infants' obesity risk increased by 18% per 1 oz increase in powdered formula intake. Formula intake among boys was on average 1.42 oz (in dry weight) higher than that among girls, which, in turn, mediated their increased obesity risk (IE_RR = 1.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.90).

The increased obesity risk among Latino boys compared with girls at 12 mo was explained by higher rates of formula feeding at 6 and 9 mo of age. Future investigations of cultural values and beliefs in gender-related feeding practices are warranted to understand the differences in obesity risk between Latino boys and girls.