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Diet and behavioural activity in 12-week-old infants
1Infant and Child Nutrition Group, Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK.
Insights
Breast-fed infants consume milk more slowly and frequently than formula-fed infants. This study found no significant differences in infant behavior or activity levels, suggesting diet does not impact energy balance through activity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Nutrition
- Infant Development
Background:
- Excess dietary energy deposition contributes to obesity.
- Differences in energy deposition between breast-fed and formula-fed infants are noted.
- Infant obesity may be linked to reduced physical activity energy expenditure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the behavioral and motor activity of breast-fed and formula-fed infants.
- To investigate if infant feeding method influences energy balance via behavior and activity.
- To determine if feeding method impacts infant energy expenditure.
Main Methods:
- Compared behavioral and motor activity in 25 formula-fed and 25 breast-fed infants.
- Utilized activity diaries, temperament questionnaires, and actometers for data collection.
- Assessed time spent awake, asleep, fussy, crying, gross motor activity, and temperament.
Main Results:
- No significant anthropometric differences were observed between the groups.
- Breast-fed infants fed significantly more slowly and frequently than formula-fed infants.
- No significant differences found in overall awake time, sleep, fussiness, crying, motor activity, or temperament.
Conclusions:
- Infant feeding method (breast vs. formula) affects feeding behavior (rate and frequency).
- Behavioral activity and gross motor activity did not differ significantly between feeding groups.
- It is unlikely that energy balance differs significantly between breast-fed and formula-fed infants due to behavioral activity.
Abstract:
Deposition of excess dietary energy occurs if energy intake exceeds expenditure. Anthropometric differences between breast-fed and formula-fed infants due to differences in energy deposition are frequently reported. It has been suggested that infant obesity may result from decreased levels of energy expenditure on physical activity. Infant diet may therefore influence energy balance by affecting behaviour and hence energy expenditure. Behavioural and motor activity of 25 formula-fed and 25 breast-fed infants were compared using activity diaries, temperament questionnaires and actometers. There were no anthropometric differences between the two groups. The breast-fed infants fed significantly more slowly than the formula-fed infants despite taking in similar milk volumes, and also fed significantly more frequently. Otherwise there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the daily time spent awake and content, asleep, fussy, or crying, nor with respect to gross motor activity and temperament. It is unlikely that energy balance of the two groups differed significantly on account of behavioural activity.