Feeding practices and anthropometric classification of nutritional status in low-birth-weight infants at term. A
Carlos Javier Avendaño-Vásquez1, Magda Liliana Villamizar-Osorio2, Claudia Jazmín Niño Peñaranda2
1Nursing School. Antonio Nariño University, Bogotá, Colombia.
Insights
Exclusive breastfeeding is common in term infants with low birth weight (LBW), but breast milk substitutes are also used. Low height-for-age is the most frequent nutritional issue in these infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Approximately 50% of low birth weight (LBW) occurs in term newborns, associated with increased infant mortality.
- Analyzing feeding practices in at-risk groups is crucial for addressing infant malnutrition and stunting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify feeding practices in term infants with LBW.
- To classify the nutritional status of term LBW infants up to six months of age.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 73 term newborns with LBW.
- Follow-up to six months, analyzing feeding practices and anthropometric nutritional status.
- Data analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariate linear regression.
Main Results:
- Exclusive breastfeeding was the most common feeding practice, though breast milk substitutes were also prevalent.
- Risk of undernutrition ranged from 2.7% to 19.2%; risk of overweight ranged from 4.1% to 11.0%.
- Low height-for-age was the most frequent anthropometric classification; gestational risk, early breastfeeding, and sex predicted anthropometric variations.
Conclusions:
- Exclusive breastfeeding is prevalent, but breast milk substitute use is also common among term LBW infants.
- Low height-for-age is the primary anthropometric concern.
- Further research is needed on gender, breast milk composition, and socio-environmental factors.
Background:
About 50 % of LBW occurs in term newborns, which is associated with higher infant mortality rates compared to infants of average birth weight. Analysis of feeding practices in at-risk groups is essential to address malnutrition and stunting in infancy.
Aim:
To identify feeding practices and anthropometric classification of nutritional status in a cohort of low-birth-weight term infants.
Methods:
Methods: Cohort study. A prospective follow-up of 73 term newborns with low birth weight up to six months of age was performed. Feeding practices and anthropometric classification of nutritional were analysed. Data were processed by univariate analysis and multivariate linear regression.
Results:
The most common feeding practice was exclusive breastfeeding. Breast milk substitutes are frequent in this population group. The risk of undernutrition ranged from 2.7 % to 19.2 % and of overweight from 4.1 % to 11.0 % during the first six months of life. Low height-for-age risk was the most frequent anthropometric classification during the follow-up period. Average head circumference was consistent in infants with low birth weight. Gestational risk classification, breastfeeding during the first hour of life, and sex of the newborn were predictors of variations in anthropometric indicators.
Conclusions:
Exclusive breastfeeding is the most common feeding practice in the population group studied, but using breast milk substitutes is also prevalent. Low height-for-age is the most frequent anthropometric classification. The weight growth rate seems reasonable, but further studies are needed based on gender differences, analysis of the composition of breast milk, and socio-environmental factors involved in growth.
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