Breast milk consumption in rural Costa Rica

Breast milk consumption was measured in 20 breast-feeding infants, aged two days to six months. This was achieved by test-weighing infants before and after every feeding over a 24-hour period. Infant length, weight, number of breast-feedings, and time spent sucking were also measured. The mean consumption among 10 full breast-feeders (no supplementation) was 639 +/- 214 ml/day at a mean age of 42 +/- 36 days, and 396 +/- 249 ml/day at a mean age of 95 +/- 53 days for ten breast-feeders receiving supplements (partial breast-feeders). Significant correlations were found between the number of feedings per day and breast milk consumption (ml/day) when examining all twenty infants (r = 0.788, p less than 0.01) and the ten partial breast-feeders (r = 0.903, p less than 0.01), but not the ten full breast-feeders (r = 0.431). Correlations between the time sucking per day (min/day), and breast milk consumption (ml/day), were again significant for all twenty infants (r = 0.576 p less than 0.01) and partial breast-feeders (r = 0.728, p less than 0.02), but not for full breast-feeders (r = 0.357). The weight-for-length ratio for full breast-feeders ranged from 94 to 135% of the 50th percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) curves, while for partial breast-feeders it ranged from 103 to 141%. Both groups show adequate growth in this poor, rural area of Costa Rica.