Growth charts and the assessment of infant feeding practices in the western world and in developing countries

Changes during the past ten years in infant feeding practices are described and it is demonstrated that with the growing popularity of breast feeding, plus the later addition of solids, dietary energy intakes are substantially lower than they were. These dietary changes would appear to be associated with alterations in the detailed pattern of growth. When exclusively breast-fed, babies, if anything, grow more quickly than growth standard rates, but after 3-4 months a relative deceleration in growth velocity becomes apparent. The anthropometric and dietary findings are discussed in relation to the use of growth charts for the assessment of the adequacy of infant feeding practices in the western world and especially in the Third World. A reanalysis of data indicates that diet-related growth faltering probably does not occur in many developing country situations until later than would be suggested by growth standards currently in use.