Exclusive Breastfeeding and Body Composition in Indian Infants: A Prospective Study
Shruti Pai1, Sayeeda Arshiya Farheen2, Sumithra Selvam3
1Center for Doctoral Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Objective:
To investigate the association between exclusive breastfeeding (BF) and body composition at 3 and 6 months in infants residing in urban Southern India.
Methods:
Healthy term neonates (n = 135) were recruited at birth and followed up until 6 months. Information on maternal characteristics, sociodemographic factors, and BF were recorded. Anthropometry and body composition (air displacement plethysmography) were assessed. Independent t-test was used to compare variables between groups with or without exclusive BF. The association between exclusive BF and infant body composition at 3 and 6 months were examined using general linear models adjusted for covariates.
Results:
Exclusive BF rate at 3 and 6 months was 78.9% (90/114) and 22.1% (24/113), respectively. Infants who were exclusively breastfed (EBF) had higher adjusted odds of increased % fat mass (FM), [aOR (95%CI) 16.8 (1.53, 183.80), P = 0.021], FM(kg) [1.23 (1.02, 1.50), P = 0.029] and FM index [1.61 (0.99, 2.63), P = 0.057] and lower odds of % fat free mass (FFM) [0.06 (0.01, 0.67), P = 0.022] at 3 months compared to non-EBF infants. Similarly, EBF infants had higher odds of increased % FM [24.0 (1.69, 339.1), P = 0.019] and significantly lower FFM indices at 6 months.
Conclusion:
EBF Indian infants had higher FM and lower FFM compared to non-EBF infants in early infancy.
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